


Cityscapes

by OurDeal



Series: City Limits [1]
Category: Professional Wrestling, World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: M/M, Mpreg, Non-Graphic Smut, OOC, Occult Magic, Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pain, other minor relationships - Freeform, slight gore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-19
Updated: 2018-12-21
Packaged: 2019-08-25 17:23:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 26,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16665022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OurDeal/pseuds/OurDeal
Summary: Finn and Seth decide that they want to go on the journey to parenthood.*Total work of fiction





	1. A Handful of Golden Dust

**Author's Note:**

> I have been brewing over this for a hot minute...so I am posting it.  
> Chapter Title comes from "I Speak Astronomy" by Jinjer.

_Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh_ is how Seth could describe the sound that the machine is making. Finn is sitting next to him, Seth’s hand between his. Seth’s hair splays out on the pillow under his head. He feels tears trying to make their way down, and as he looks at Finn, he already knows that it’s okay to cry. They have waited for this moment for a while and it’s finally happening. If there was a feeling Seth could describe this moment as—he would say it felt as if his heart pressed him against the cushioned exam table at the doctor’s office.

            “So, that’s the sound of a healthy heartbeat! If you look closely, you can see an outline of a head, arms and hands—ooh and little legs and feet too! The measurements look to be on track for the eight-week mark! Now Seth, how have you been feeling with all of the symptoms of the first trimester? Have you gotten any nausea or have had trouble holding food down? Or have you had any headaches?” Dr. Crowne turns off the ultrasound machine, while the little printer under the monitor begins to print out high-gloss stills from the session. She hands Seth a paper towel to wipe off the cold gel, and as he sits up, Finn ends up on his feet, his hand still holding Seth’s.

            “I have had a little nausea, but that’s pretty much been it. I’ve been able to keep most of my food down, with the occasional morning sickness, but it’s really been about the little bean in me.” Seth smiles as he calls the baby ‘bean’. They both have tried for this to happen for a while and had not been successful until now. Seth knew that the moment that he laid eyes on Finn, that he would be the one. He remembers that night—it was the first Monday after the brand split, and each show had their own roster. Mick Foley announcing that whoever wins overall, after two fatal four-way matches, and having those two winners face off, would face Seth for the newest championship—the Universal Championship at Summer Slam. Mick had named seven out of the eight competitors before giving the final spot to Finn. He remembers his heart beating so hard that it was all he could hear, while Finn made his way through the front, standing right in the visual line of Seth. A strange pressure brings Seth back to reality and looking up, he sees that Finn is kissing him on the forehead.

            “Babe, it’s time to go. The doctor wants to schedule for two weeks from now. She said that because you are a male and at a higher risk, that she wants to monitor the development of our baby.” Finn smiles at him, pressing his lips against Seth’s in a loving kiss. Seth makes his way off the exam table, and out to the check-out desk, where a nurse is waiting for him to talk over dates and times for the new appointment.

            “Same time and same day work for you?” Seth gives a firm nod, and the nurse begins to type away on the schedule. They take a card and write down the date and time, handing it over to Seth with a smile. Finn’s hand finds him again, and while they make their way out to a dark parking lot, he feels as though he is so lucky. He finally is able to give Finn what they both always wanted, but yet, he’s afraid. A click of car locks unlocking and the swing of a car door opening makes Seth act upon instinct and slide into the passenger’s seat before closing the door and putting his seatbelt on. Sighing, Seth feels Finn reach over to hold his hand, while he keeps looking out the window at the buildings going by. Finn stops at a stop sign, his fingers tapping on the steering wheel with the contemplation of what he wants to say.

            Finn knows that this-this is what they both have waited for, and yet, he feels as if the world is waiting to implode on him at any minute. He knows that on one hand, Seth and he had planned this out, so they really aren’t surprised that it happened. In fact, Finn is more disappointed in the timing of it all. Seth had just started to climb back up the mountain and is already holding a championship. Hearing the heart-breaking sob from Seth, Finn luckily is already in the parking lot of the hotel they are staying in for the night. Squeezing his hand as he kills the engine of the car, Finn turns to look at Seth, and the watery, red eyes that stare back at him are killing him slowly.

            “Babe, what’s wrong?” That is what it would take to have the dam burst and Seth turn into a sobbing mess. Finn can only pull him as close as the center consul of the car allows them to be, trying to calm down his husband the best he can. Seth can only lean into the touch, feeling that if he were to speak, all he is feeling would come out.

            “Let’s just get our stuff out of the car and we’ll talk in the room, okay? Whatever it is Seth, you can tell me.” Finn gives him a reassuring smile as he opens the driver’s side door. Seth just stays put, gathering himself for the time being, while unbuckling himself from the passenger’s seat. Someone knocks on the window, and looking up, Seth notices that it’s Finn giving him a worried look. Realizing that his thoughts won’t resolve until he says them, Seth sighs before opening the passenger door. Closing the door, he feels Finn reach out to hold his hand. He knows that against Finn’s, Seth’s hand feels all sweaty. Passing the front desk, the elevator door opens as they arrive right in front of it.

             Pressing the button to the floor that they were put into for the night, Finn tightens his hold on Seth’s hand, and Seth—well he just wants to break down and just roll into a ball. He wants to hide in the deepest, darkest corner of the world. On one hand, he wants this so badly—they both have, but on the other hand, he’s scared. Feeling a tug on his hand, Finn is pulling him out of the elevator and walking him down to their shared room. Unlocking the door with the hotel keycard, Finn pushes the door open, letting Seth enter first, dragging his bag behind him, while Finn follows suit. As soon as the door closes, and he knows that he’s safe from prying eyes, Seth lays down on one of the queen beds and just begins to cry. Finn ends up lying down next to him, pulling him close to hold him.

            “Tell me, Seth, what’s on your mind?” Finn whispers in his ear, and so many thoughts begin to run through his head. Not being able to find the words to even spew his thoughts out into the air, Seth just moves closer to Finn, trying to hide, at least, in his arms. Finn cards his fingers through Seth’s long hair, and he can feel the tension leave Seth’s body. With a deep sigh, Seth looks at Finn, and all he can see is the deep love and adoration he has for the man.

            “I am just so stuck, Finn. On one hand, I am excited that we’re finally going to be parents, but on the other, I’m scared. Scared that I’ll lose everything when I leave. Scared that all the progress I made will mean nothing once I get back, and I’ll have to start over. I just started my peak, and now, I have to give it all up. I don’t care that I do, it’s just—bad timing. I want this so badly—you, the baby, and the championships and opportunities, but yet, I can’t have one without giving up the other. I guess, it’s just that I want to be a good parent, but at the same time, I want to be a champion. What I’m saying is—I feel like I am not that great of a person to even be a parent in the first place. I’ve gone through a lot of things—I’ve been betrayed and betrayed a lot of people over the years. Besides, life on the road is rough already, and throwing a baby into that, it will only get harder. Yet, I will give it all up, if it means that we can have our dream come true because being a parent with you means so much more to me than any championship will. Just know, when I am home, I will be cheering for you every step of the way…and I’ve talked to Trips about this, and he said it’s okay for me to drop the title to you. He said that he would rather see it go to someone who is long overdue for a championship, and who the crowd receives as well as they receive me. After I drop the title to you, I get to go home, and let the little bean grow without worrying about an injury to them or to me.” Pushing himself ever closer to Finn, Seth hides his face in the junction of Finn’s neck. He doesn’t want to face anyone else, and even though he knows that his boss is okay with the situation, it still upsets him that he has to go away, after just coming back. He knows that the worry is partly hormones and partly stress. He still remembers when they came to the consensus to try for a baby in the first place. 


	2. I Hear the Beast Behind My Back (Flashback pt.1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How it all started for them. Chapter title comes from "Sit, Stay, Roll Over" by Jinjer.

            _“Finn, I want to talk to you about something…but I don’t want to do it over the phone. It’s really important to me that I see you face to face so that we can better plan our next move.” Smiling at the phone screen in front of him, Seth feels the nerves start to crawl up his spine. He knows that he’s ready for his life to change, but he doesn’t know if Finn will be along for the ride._

_“Babe, I’ll be home tonight, I promise. I can’t wait to see you.” Finn smiles back at him from the small phone screen. Seth knows that he’s made up his mind, and he feels as though he wants to do this—add more to the little family that he’s created with Finn. He and Finn decided that just being ‘boyfriends’ wasn’t enough—they wanted so much more from life. They both knew that since the meeting, that life wasn’t going to be the same if they weren’t together. He knew that when he and Finn chose to just go to Vegas and secretly marry—yes, it was spur of the moment, but they both knew that it would be the only time that they could find to make it happen. They both know that at some point, someone would notice, but until then, they were willing to keep their marriage a secret from the rest of the world—both at work and in public. It hurt Finn as much as it hurt Seth to pretend that they weren’t anything more than just ‘friends’. The words that they used around each other had to be carefully curated within racing thoughts. Their touches had to be quick and secret—and P.D.A., as much as they wanted to show it, was something that they kept to themselves._

_While waiting around for Finn to arrive back home, Seth feels his nerves radiate through his body. He wants to get this conversation over with, and it’s taken a lot of time for him to even come to the conclusion that he was ready for a bit of downtime to carry a baby. He knew it was a possibility since the one time he had an encounter with the actual demon king. The demon king knew that Seth’s love for Finn was endless, and although the king didn’t share a body with Finn, but just merely used him as a vessel for when he is needed, he did offer something to Seth in exchange for endless devotion, love and attention to Finn. Seth felt his heart almost jump right out of his throat the moment the demon king suggested it as a possibility. He knows that the offer is still on the table, it’s just a matter of Finn consenting and the demon king actually delivering on the promise._

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_When the demon made himself known for the first time—Seth had been scared out of his mind. He thought that the demon was just something that Finn played up, in order to intimidate his opponents. Summerslam was upon the roster, a new belt being fought over. It was him and Finn—‘The Demon King’ vs ‘The King Slayer’ for the championship. It didn’t matter what order they came out to the ring in, Seth already knew that when Finn channels the demon, he is more slated to win, and that night was no different. They gave it all, baring their souls to each other in a private dance in a public setting. While the crowd watched them with awe, Seth could hear the demon making its way into his mind. Finn took a back seat to let the demon in, and now Seth lets him in too._

_“I know you, Seth. You think that no one could actually care about you the way you care about them. Finn has agonized over that for months, and in his quiet moments, he’s told me about how much he adores you and how much he hates seeing you drag yourself down. You bring his humanity back and give me a chance to go back into my slumber until I am needed again. I’ve seen what he’s seen, and felt what he has felt—he hasn’t been this in love since the last person who broke his heart completely…the same night he let me in. He let his hatred fester and take over for the better part of a year. He almost lost himself completely, until he saw you. Because you brought him back from his own hatred and gave him all of your love and adoration, I will give you, if and when you and Finn decide to, the ability to have your own children. There is a condition—you must continuously love and adore Finn, for he will return it tenfold.” Seth’s breath gets caught in his throat, and he knows that even though it should be impossible, it’s something that he could only dream of. The rough, deep, and growling voice of the demon leaves and the bell rings, signaling the end of the match. Looking up from his spot on the mat, the stadium is exploding with cheers and Finn is holding up the title. Paint is smeared all over him-a thing that he finds endearing, knowing that he and Finn gave it all—for themselves, for the championship, and for the audience._

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_“Hey babe, how was your day today?” A pressure of lips against his temple followed by the carding of fingers through his hair brings Seth out of his head. Finn is smiling at him, and for a second, he feels as though he is about to ruin the one thing that he has been lucky to get—something that he thought he didn’t deserve. He already has Finn, and asking for more… feeling like he’s being selfish. Finn ends up sitting down next to him, a hand on his knee and blue eyes with a hint of curiosity and worry look at him. All he can think about is trying to bring this up. His wants are parallel to reality, and sometimes, the line gets blurred between the two. The worst part is that Finn probably won’t even remember the promise that the demon made to him once upon a time._

_“There’s something that I really want to talk to you about…. but it’s so hard to even bring up. It’s stupid, actually, and you probably don’t remember it at all. I’ve—I’ve met him—the demon king—before. It was at Summer Slam, the night that you won the Universal Championship. He promised me something-something that I thought could never happen. I let him into my head, and he told me about how you almost lost yourself after Hideo broke your heart. You let the darkness almost consume you whole, and then somehow, some way, I brought you out of it. About how much you hate seeing me self-destruct with the belief that no one could ever love me…that I’m this mess that no one wants. Yet, you found something in me that you thought was worthy of your attention. In time, I learned to give you everything, and in turn, you’ve done the same for me. The demon told me that night-and made me promise to him- that in exchange for me continuously loving you, which is something that I will always do, promise or no promise, that he would give me the ability to give you children. I think I’m ready to cash in on that promise, Finn.” He feels the air get heavy, but not with tension, more with shock. Looking at Finn, Seth notices that he has gone into his own headspace. He wants to know what Finn is hearing—what the demon is saying. He feels Finn press his lips against his, and for a moment, he feels his soul leave him. He hears Finn sigh while pressing their foreheads together, and upon opening his eyes, Finn is crying…with a smile on his face._

_“He showed me the night when he made that promise to you. He knew that I would have wanted this with you. He already knew what was going to happen before I knew—or you knew. He assured me that any child we have, will not be affected by him. Our children will be a combination of you and me. There is something I do worry about though…and it has to do with how the demon will fulfill his promise. You have to be willing to put your body through hell for this, and as much as I would love to have children with you, I don’t want to see you go through pain for it.” Finn’s hand is holding Seth’s cheek, and in his mind, Seth knows that he wants this more than ever. He knows that there will be pain associated with it, for the demon himself has visited in his sleep, preparing him to make that decision. Nodding, Seth presses his lips against Finn’s once more before grabbing his hand and holding it between his own._

_“Baby, I already know what’s going to happen to me. The demon has prepared me to make this choice. I want this with you—a family to call our own, with the little pitter-patter of feet running around, and the white picket fence. I’m ready for this.” Feeling tears slide down his face, Seth sighs before pulling Finn close and wrapping his arms around him. Being sure in his choice, Finn kisses him one more time before texting the one person whose help they will need to make this happen._

_“He’ll meet with us tomorrow, and he will start preparations tonight.” Finn gives a light squeeze to Seth’s hand, with the thought that their life will never be the same after tomorrow._


	3. The Sky is a Cracked Jar (Flashback pt. 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Continuation of chapter 2....and there is still more to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title comes from "Bad Water" by Jinjer.

            _Arriving at the location—a small apartment complex in the middle of downtown Orlando is not the place Seth thought that someone who performs rituals of a different kind would live in. The weather is beyond stifling as he and Finn make their way up the metal set of stairs to the second floor. Going all the way down to the last door at the end of the balcony, Finn’s hand raises and hesitates for a moment, before knuckles are tapping lightly against fake wood. A man with rounded glasses and an eccentric type of dress answers the door. He takes one look at Finn and then at Seth before turning back around, but leaving the front door wide open._

_“Aleister, honey, the guests of honor are here.” Seth hears the man echo through the small space. There are weird symbols—that only Seth can recognize just by a mere look. A pentagram painted in white adorns the farthest wall by him. Candles of different colors and sizes are lined up on a small coffee table under the symbol. A chill overtakes Seth, and for the first time in a while, he feels scared—even though he knows what is going to happen, he still has yet to completely come to terms with it. A man with Tattoos covering most of his body appears, bowing before Finn before extending his hand out, a gesture of goodwill._

_“Hello, you must be Seth. Finn has told me all about you. The little eccentric one you’ve met first is my husband—Velveteen. Now come, follow me.” Aleister pulls them to the side of the living room with the pentagram on the wall, before beckoning Seth to lay down on a yoga mat. Aleister asks Finn to sit right behind Seth’s head. Placing Finn’s hands on either side of Seth’s head, Aleister begins to light each candle that’s on the small coffee table. Finn’s thumbs begin to rub circles on Seth’s temples, and for a second, he just wants to take those hands and run._

_“Finn, I need you to focus. Call on the demon, and Seth, close your eyes and think of where you are the happiest. Take some deep breaths Seth and feel your body float.” A heaviness in the air takes over, and the smell of burning firecrackers begins to emit from it. He knows who it is without even hearing their voice, and for a moment, Seth just wants to cancel this plan…but he’s in too deep, and he made a promise to Finn. A low growl comes from the chest of Finn, the pressure of sharp nails pressing against the temples of Seth._

_“It’s time, isn’t it.” They aren’t directed at him but at Aleister. Trying to resist the urge to open his eyes and see what’s going on, a sudden breeze passes over his skin and he realizes that his shirt has been pulled up to expose his stomach. Panic tries to settle in his gut, but focusing on the blunt pressure of the demon’s nails against his face grounded him. A low humming—almost a rumbling from Aleister’s chest almost startles him and the demon follows. The air gets heavier, and Seth can feel the vibrations from the humming encase him. A sudden warmth spreads into his body from his stomach, followed by an all-encompassing burning—a sharp and uncomfortable feeling. Holding in his pain, Seth wants to cry out and make it stop, because it feels as though someone shoved a knife into his stomach. A tinge of copper hangs in the air—a smell all too familiar for him. Someone—well something, is leaning over him—breathing deeply. A pressure of what he thinks is air presses against him and he feels as though he is being pushed into the core of the earth…a pressure so great, burning him from the inside out, becoming so painful that he feels himself slip into the calm of darkness._

_Fingers are running through his hair and a calm melody calls him to the surface of consciousness. A light pressure is pressing against his forehead—realizing that it’s probably Finn who is running his fingers through his hair…who is humming and kissing him. Reaching out for one of the hands to hold, he takes a deep breath, a tinge of pain making its way up his body. Accidentally letting it show, he feels the fingers stop, along with the humming, and there are drops of something landing on his face. Opening his eyes, Finn is staring down at him, his eyes red from what looks like continuous crying. Seth’s eyebrows furrow in concern, a hand reaching out to caress Finn’s face. Seth smiles at him, trying to calm Finn down, and even though he’s sore and feeling sick, he knows that it’s all worth it in the end._

_“Hey baby, how did it go?” Taking shallow breaths, Seth wants to cry out in pain, but he knows that he is stronger than his pain. He wants Finn to know that, even though Finn is crying above him. Leaning down, Finn’s lips meet Seth’s in an honest kiss, letting Seth know that Finn feels his pain. He begins to wipe the tears that keep falling from Finn’s eyes, trying to at least make him feel better._

_“Babe…it’s-I saw what was happening from afar. I am so sorry that it has to be this way—I wish” Seth begins to just move his head side to side, trying to tell Finn that it’s fine and that he chose this—because he wanted this so badly. Trying to sit up, a sharp pain goes right through him, causing him to cry out. Finn stills before laying down Seth’s head under a cushion so that he can stand up to help Seth move. Finn hooks one arm under Seth’s knees and another around his upper back, effectively lifting him. Late afternoon rays peek through the blinds, making the light gray of the wall look off-white. Taking note of the walls, he begins to notice things—like the pictures of Finn and he on their wedding day hanging on the wall, or plaques with pictures of them each holding the NXT championship before they were in the main roster._

_“How—how did I get home?” Confused and a little nervous, he begins to think that he made up everything that had happened earlier. He’s having a hard time trying to remember the last thing that happened before waking. Finn lays him down, using a bedrest pillow to help with sitting up. There’s a dull, throbbing pain under the waistband of his shorts, and he’s too nervous to look. Finn picks up on this feeling, taking his hand and kissing each knuckle. A few more tears make their way down Finn’s face, his free hand reaching out to push some hair away from Seth’s face._

_“After you passed out, and I came back, with the ritual finished, Aleister gave me the all clear to take you home. I carried you to the car and drove. I held your hand, hoping that in some way, you wouldn’t be in so much pain when you woke up. I feel so guilty—it’s my fault that you’re in pain. I feel selfish because I know I want this as much as you do, but it’s not my body on the line. I am also so grateful that you want to do this—that you’re willing to go through this just so that we can create a family.” A slight break in his voice followed by more tears and light kisses is all it takes for Seth to realize that he really did go through with it._

_“Oh babe, of course, I want to start a family with you—and if there’s a possibility of us making it happen, I will do everything I can. I want to go through that journey of parenthood with you, Finn, and no amount of pain will make me think otherwise. I knew what I’m getting myself into and I’m okay with it. Don’t feel guilty for any of it. I made the choice for me to be the one to go through it.” Smiling at him, Seth’s hand reaches out to wipe some of the tears away from Finn’s face. His heart breaks a little because of what Finn is feeling. Guilt that has no place with him or within his heart and mind. Gaining the courage to finally pull up his shirt, only to see a thick bandage wrapped around his waist. Placing his hand over the bandage, he smiles to himself, knowing that his life will change._

_“How—how did it happen?” Whispering the words into the atmosphere, Finn reaches down to hold the hand that’s against his stomach. Giving a light squeeze, Seth can sense the hesitation in Finn’s body. Moving closer to Seth, Finn wraps an arm around his shoulders, pulling him slightly closer so he could kiss the side of Seth’s face._

_“Where do I start with that…the demon showed me everything as it was happening. When the demon cut you open and took out part of your stomach, I almost—I couldn’t bear to watch—but I knew I had to, because it was you that he was cutting into. Then the demon…he opened his mouth and a black plume of smoke came out. Aleister had to gather all of it quickly, forming it into a ball before handing it over to the demon. He took that ball of smoke and pushed it into space he had created before putting your stomach back in and sealing the wound with his hand—that became a glowing ember. When it was all said and done, I open my eyes and I’m back in the room with you—who is laying on the floor not moving. I thought I had lost you.” Another round of tears makes its way down his face and Seth, even in his own pain, joins him, and as he leans towards Finn,  he places his head on his chest, and Finn just holds him that much closer._

 


	4. Keep My Heart Spare (Flashback pt. 2.5)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final part of the flashback sequence  
> Chapter title comes from Jinjer's "Just Another"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter was...well...wow, crazy! But, after this chapter, the timeline will go back to regular. It's 2.5 because this is where the regular timeline picks up. The whole vein thing is inspired after 'Teen Wolf' show...

_He knew the implications he was signing up for, but he never thought that it would cost him his own comfort. Every day since the ritual, his body feels like it just wants to fail him. Everything hurts—his bones, his muscles—but worst of all, his stomach feels like it’s constantly being torn apart and regenerated. Seth doesn’t know how much longer he can keep his pain in, and not break down in front of Finn. The guilt that Finn feels because of what Seth has gone through weighs heavy in the air, faded but subtle. Recently, Finn has gone off to do some live shows, leaving Seth alone, and for once, he lets himself release all of the pain he’s been holding in. The constant vomiting doesn’t help either, it only makes what happened that much painful on a physical scale. He wishes that he could just curl into himself and fade away, and although he knows that he wanted to do this, he begins to feel some doubt about it. There are days where the pain isn’t as bad, and then there are other days— days that he doubts himself and questions to no one why did he go through with it in the first place. Being stuck in his own thoughts with tears falling, a pressure against his temple makes him realize who is right next to him. His hand is holding tightly, wanting to give Seth any type of comfort that he can._

_“Oh, my love, let me take your pain.” Kissing Seth’s lips, Finn settles himself to sit right in front of him. Taking Seth’s hands, he kisses each knuckle before placing his hands on the bandages that cover Seth’s stomach. Seth can tell how much concentration Finn is having to use, but more blinding is the pain—pain that plagues for days. As it begins to fade away, Seth begins to follow Finn’s veins with his eyes—which are taking his pain in the form of a light gray liquid passing through the veins. It fascinates Seth, and he can only attribute it to the demon. He figures that if the demon can create and give pain, he must be capable of taking and erasing pain too. He feels foolish for hiding his pain and not saying something sooner._

_“I know why you didn’t tell me, Seth. It’s okay, I would have never seen you weak—to me, you’re actually stronger than I am. You’ve held in your pain, and I wish I would have known sooner so that I could help you. I know you don’t want me to feel guilty, but there will always be a part of me that will feel guilty. Even though it was the demon who did this, he used my body to touch you. I never want to cause you pain…but to know that it was through me that it happened, all I can say is I am so sorry. I am so sorry that you feel that you have to hide your pain from me, and I am so sorry that I couldn’t take your pain earlier.” His lips press against Seth’s, and his arms wrap around Seth’s shoulders. Finn pulls Seth close, letting tears make their way down his face. He never thought that the journey to parenthood would be filled with pain._

_Yet as Seth begins to feel better and begins to feel as he is ready to try, Finn is scared to touch him. Finn feels as if his touch only causes Seth pain. It becomes so prevalent that Seth and Finn begin to grow apart for a time—it was more of two roommates in a shared space rather than spouses. Neither one knows how to breach the subject, and even though they sleep in the same bed at night, the tension becomes the wall between them. To top it all off, when Seth finally feels as though he is a hundred percent and makes his way back to wrestling night after night, Finn and he are too tired to do anything but sleep after shows. It becomes too much one night, after a particularly rough live event, that everything Seth held back comes pouring out of him, becoming a broken faucet. All Finn can do is try his best to calm him down, knowing that if Seth overthinks, he will throw himself into a spiral._

_“Seth, baby, breath with me. C’mon, breath with me. It’s okay, you don’t have to hold back anymore.” Seth can only curl himself further into Finn’s side. He wants to hide from the world and be in his own little bubble with Finn, where no one can hurt him. For all that he held back, all he can pinpoint is the feeling of anguish that he let consume him for a better part of a year. He has a plan in place for when everything begins to happen, but it dawns on him that if he doesn’t speak up now, he will never be able to create the family that he so desperately wants with Finn. Taking Finn’s hands into his own, Seth places them on his shoulders while gazing back at Finn._

_“See, you’re not going to hurt me. I miss you so much—and we’re in the same room all of the time. How can I miss someone who is right next to me? I miss the way you would graze your hand against my face between fleeting moments of calm backstage, or when you would squeeze my hand momentarily, just to let me know that you were okay after a spot. I miss that—the way you would hold me when I would have a bad day, or how you would kiss my knuckles as a way for me to look at you when I was feeling horrible about myself. But I miss you just looking at me when I became too in my head, and how you would pull me into a hug and kiss my head, and tell me to hold on to you, the most. How you would become my anchor and ground me—and here I am, just asking to break through this wall you’ve built after what happened. I want you to really listen—you are not the demon. The demon may use you to come through, but you are not it. You have nothing to feel guilty about…and honestly, neither does the demon. I chose to use the opportunity that was given to me because I want to have children with you. I want you, please understand that.” Seth is pleading with Finn, wanting him to try to get back to how it used to be, and Finn wants to show Seth how much he means to him. He’s scared that if he showed Seth any type of physical affection, that it could go south very quickly._

_“The demon—he told me something the last time he and I met. It said that for this to really work, we must only be feeling the emotions of love and adoration. I love you so much that I’m scared I will one day hurt you. I really want to be with you—and be your tag team partner in parenthood. I just—I guess want to make sure that you’ll be safe.” This confession brings a whole new set of tears from both Finn and Seth. Finn decides to show Seth how much he truly loves him, no longer caring who sees._

_Finn makes it a point to be a little more affectionate, especially in the moments between matches. He knows that soon—at some point, Seth will be faking an injury just to give up his body for nine months. He is just trying to fathom being at live events and T.V. without him. Having to carpool with Gallows and Anderson instead of Seth. Lying in a bed, the side where Seth would usually sleep end up just being cold and uninviting. He would have to settle for missing out on all of the milestones that Seth will have without him—the first kick, seeing his stomach grow, and being there for all of the ultrasounds. Seth—he’s also preparing himself to be without Finn—for when the time comes. Although wrestling was his first love, Finn is more important, and any family he wants to have with him just adds to how much he adores Finn._

_The night that they finally decide, after so much back and forth, to try for the first time, it becomes something more. Between the traveling and the tiredness, and trying to find time to even make it work in the first place, they end up pouring their hearts out to each other._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            “Hey babe, I missed you so much. You scared me when you did the jump off the top rope.” Smiling up at him, Seth had just finished eating whatever he could find in catering. Finn smiles down at him before sitting down and taking Seth hand and holding it with his. Finn is holding back the one question that needs to be desperately asked, but trying to figure out a way to get it out is harder. Seth gives him a knowing look, and as he gives Finn’s hand a squeeze, he readies himself to answer the unasked.

            “we have a plan, for how this is going to go…and I think once it gets your approval, Trips said he is completely okay with letting us handle how we want the press release and everything else to go. He wants me to drop the IC belt to you on T.V., and I am going to get ‘injured’ at some point in the match. Some ideas were thrown around, and we came to the consensus that you’re going to do your ‘1916’ finisher, go for the pin, and as you’re given the belt, I roll out of the ring and make my way to the back, so that the audience doesn’t really notice. They will be more focused on you holding the belt, which is what I need in order to get to the back quickly and safely. Trips also made sure that there will be no cameras on me at that point so that all the attention is on you. From there, we can make up the injury and tell PR how the press release should go.” Looking into the blue of Finn’s eyes, Seth can tell that he really liked the plans that have been put in place. Finn squeeze’s Seth’s hand in reassurance, kissing Seth on the side of his temple.

            “I have to go do some backstage interview, but after that, we can go back to the hotel. I love you.” Finn leaves right after that, and Seth can only hope in his heart of hearts that everything goes according to plan.  


	5. Don't Skip the Blanks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seth drops his title to Finn so he could go home. Chapter title comes from 'A Plus or A Minus' by Jinjer.

            Backstage, there is an insane amount hustle and bustle for a Monday night. No one really knew what was happening for the main event, they just knew that it was a title match. Finn is excited and scared—excited because he gets to wrestle the love of his life before Seth takes the break, but scared of injury at the same time. Knowing that Seth is carrying his baby, it makes it more stressful to have the match. They’re used to pouring everything out in the ring—not holding back anything, even if they are married to each other. He feels Seth’s hand connect with his, and lips press against his face. There’s a knowing look in the brown eyes, and a smile is all it takes for Finn to make his nerves leave and let the adrenaline in. A final kiss on the lips and the first note of his theme pushes him into reality.

            Red and black adorn his body, inspiring images of the demon that he is borrowing for the night. In his quiet time, he and the demon have talked without prying eyes, and with an understanding that the demon will have to hold back on their strength and letting Finn have a little more control of his body movement for the match. As he stands at the top of the entrance ramp, the crowd erupts with screams. As he does his entrance moves and makes his way down to the ring the chills make their way up his spine. He’s ready for this match—to continue Seth’s reign as champion, even if Seth is no longer the champion. As he stands on the farthest side of the entrance, Seth’s music begins, and the beat of his heart is all he hears instead. Seeing his love walk down the ramp for what will be the last time in a while, tears press against his eyes, but he is unwilling to let them go.

            As the bell rings and the match begins, their eyes gaze at each other, and they both know that they have to make this amazing—that this has to count. Their dance begins, and as hard as Seth hits, this time it’s both of them holding back. Spot after spot, Finn is careful in how he moves with Seth. Each bump is calculated, each chop is carefully placed, and each subtle touch to tell each other that they are okay, become well-timed. As the tension grows, and the end of the match nearby, Finn gets Seth into the position for the ‘1916’ finisher. Hitting the finisher is one thing—but it’s on Seth to make it look like as if he were injured by it—which he sells to the nines.

            “I love you babe, and I’ll meet you backstage.” Are the only words that Seth can say into Finn’s ear during the pin. As soon as the bell rings, and Finn is declared the new IC champion, Seth rolls out of the ring in record time. While the crowd is screaming and focusing on Finn, Seth makes it to backstage, where everyone is clapping for him. There’s a moment of dizziness before he feels himself falling, but never hitting the ground. A clanging noise and the wrapping of arms to catch him is all it takes to stop the worst from happening. Nausea tries to take over but Seth manages to push it down, while Finn is carrying him away from the gorilla and backstage to one of the training rooms. Being laid out on the examination bed, someone else is patting his stomach dry from the sweat before applying something cold to it.

            “Seth, it looks like everything is fine for the nine-week mark. There is no present danger to the fetus, but it does seem like you are a bit dehydrated. I’m going to put some IV fluids in you, so just sit tight while I get the IV going.” A familiar voice notifies him, but all he cares about is the fact that Finn is holding his hand. His head hurts something horrible and the room is spinning. Turning his head towards Finn, he feels his eyes start to get heavy, and nausea that he has pushed down so far making its way back up. Luckily, Finn knows Seth so well that a swift movement of his arm to grab the trash can at the same time that Seth is about to vomit over the side of the exam table helps avoid a giant disaster in the training room. Holding Seth’s hair back while holding the trash can up close, Finn feels horrible for his love. On one hand, this was the only way to get Seth to rest without any speculations as to what happened, but on the other—he wishes that it wouldn’t have cost Seth his health.

            “Once the IV finishes, you’ll be clear to go home, ok? I will be with you guys every step of the way. Seth, please don’t forget to get yourself comfortable and relax, stress is no good for you and even worse for the fetus. Finn, make sure that he stays hydrated and is having a healthy regimen of exercise and diet. Since I saw you today, I’m not going to schedule you again until your fourteenth-week mark—I was going to do weekly ultrasounds, but I think it’s best if you rest up and try to be as stress-free as possible.” Dr. Crowne is smiling at him, and Seth is now remembering that they had given Trips her number in case of an emergency—hence this was that emergency. He didn’t even feel the slight pinch of the needle going into the back of his hand, but he did feel the rush of the IV liquid make its initial presence known. The lights in the room are turned down low, relieving some of the raging pounding in his head. Finn is looking at him with worry, but Seth places his hand on his face, giving him a slight smile.

            “It’s okay baby, the bean and I are fine. It was just me being stubborn for a second and completely forgetting to keep myself hydrated. It’s no big deal, and you shouldn’t worry yourself over it. We’ll get to the hotel after this, and I’ll shower and then we can cuddle, ok? Now as for you, mister, you should go shower, we can’t have two sweaty people in the car.” Cracking jokes even in serious situations makes the tension in the room dissipate—even for a moment. Feeling the lump in his throat make its way down to his stomach, Finn nods—just knowing that Seth is no longer in danger and that their baby is no longer in danger is good enough for him. Kissing Seth, Finn stands to leave, the IC title laying on the counter, forgotten.

            “Hey sweetheart, you probably can’t really hear me or your dad, but just know that I love you—that we love you. I’m so sorry that I forgot to stay hydrated, and I am so sorry that it put you in danger. Daddy and I have waited so long for you. He had to wrestle me tonight so that I can go home and let you grow. We really didn’t want to, but we both knew that in order to keep you safe, we had to. Daddy and I are going back to our hotel room tonight, and we’re probably going to just focus on you—our everything. You are worth the pain that I went through so you could be here. I can’t wait to hold you, but I want you to stay in there for a little while longer.” Smiling to himself, Seth begins to move his hands in a circular motion on his stomach. Humming to himself, he waits for Finn to come back, knowing that he would grab both his things and Seth’s out of the locker room. Closing his eyes momentarily, Seth imagines what their baby could look like…maybe it will have the big doe eyes, but they’ll be blue in color, or, have Finn’s smile. Feeling someone’s hand grab his, Seth smiles to himself because he already knows that it’s Finn. There is something that is placed on his chest, and while he opens his eyes, Finn smiles down and kisses him on the forehead.

            “I don’t think you even felt it, but Dr. Crowne just left. She unhooked you from the IV. I brought you a shirt, and when we get back to the hotel, I can’t wait to cuddle you.” Pressure meets his lips and Seth wants to smile, but instead, he ends up kissing back. Sitting up to put the shirt on, the migraine that plagued him earlier almost gone, and finally he feels like he can breathe for once. Finn presses his hand lightly against Seth’s stomach, a look of worry grazing his face. Noticing that the door to the room is closed, Seth knows that Finn is about to completely release all of his emotions. Standing on his feet, Seth wants to wrap his arms around Finn, instead, Finn begins to kneel down, coming face to face with Seth’s stomach. Wrapping his arms around Seth’s waist, Finn buries his face in Seth’s clothed stomach, and he begins to weep—all of his pain making itself known for the first time. Tears are drenching his face and Seth’s shirt…making it stick to skin. Finn decides that he’s not close enough to their baby, lifting Seth’s shirt to expose his stomach. Kissing the skin, he wishes that he could see into Seth’s stomach—only to see if their baby is ok.

            “I am so sorry, dear. We’ve waited so long for you, only for me to put you and your papa in danger.” Sniffling, Finn is being pulled up to his feet by Seth. They wrap their arms around each other, hiding their faces in the junction of necks. Having a good cry is cathartic for both—being able to be unashamed of their feelings in front of each other, they can shed their pain together.

            “Let’s get you to the hotel to shower.” Finn gives Seth a watery smile as he takes Seth’s hand to take him out of the training room and into the parking garage. Holding hands in the middle consul all the way to the hotel, the radio making the silence a little more bearable for both. As soon as the sliding doors open to the hotel lobby, Finn and Seth hurry to the elevator, too tired to care who sees them holding hands. Entering their hotel room, Seth makes a bee-line for the bathroom, and Finn makes his way to his luggage to pull out both his and Seth’s sleeping clothes. Dressing into his sleeping clothes, Finn lays down on top of the bed sheets, rolling to the side where the door to the bathroom is located. Watching Seth walk out, his hair is soaked but pulled up in a bun, and he is wearing boxers, the only article of clothing that he brought in with him when he entered the bathroom. Getting into his Sleep clothes, Seth sighs deeply, knowing that the main event took a toll on not only him, but Finn.

            “I’m so sorry babe that you had to see that. I never wanted to take away from your moment.” Seth has tears that begin to roll down his face, and all Finn can do is pull him close and untie the bun, freeing the hair for him to run his fingers through. Hands end up on top of each other, covering the spot above where their baby rests. Watery smiles are exchanged and words of love hang heavy in the air.


	6. I'll Be Right Where You Need Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title comes from 'Until The End' by Jinjer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter, for some reason, was so hard to write, but here it is!

            “Well Seth, it looks like everything is moving right on track! If you look here, you can see them moving their toes—oh, and will you look at that! They’re sucking their thumb! I will say this though…your baby will grow, but it’s looking more and more like you’re not going to be showing at all. Looking at all of your muscle mass, the fetus is way in the back, hiding them from giving any actual signs of growth, even though they are growing.  I am going to schedule you again around your eighteen-week mark. That’s around the time that we can see what the baby is going to be—if you want to know. Other than that, you should be good to go! You might start feeling the baby move around that time.” Seth feels relieved that his actions from a couple of weeks ago didn’t do that much damage. It has been hard for him being home alone while Finn is on the road—but one of them has to. Seth video chats with Finn every night before going to bed, knowing that his love wants to know everything that is going on with him and their baby. He makes his way to his car so that he can go to the local Crossfit gym, with the intention of doing a light workout. He got the all-clear from Dr. Crowne right before he wrestled his last match.

            There have been questions about him—where he has gone, if the injury is part of a storyline, or if he got fired from the company—the last one being completely fake. He is always thinking about how he is going to tell the rest of his friends the news, now that he’s completely out of danger. On one hand, he’s excited knowing that people haven’t forgotten about him. He’s reminded every Monday night when he sits down on the couch in his living room to watch _Raw._  There are very few people that he trusts with his life—one being Finn, who he married. Then there’s Bayley, who already knew something happened and figured it out before anyone else could, and lastly, there’s Becky and Charlotte, who went through a similar situation when they also got married in secret. It was an accident that Seth found out about their marriage. He had just been walking through the halls of the arena when he heard Becky and her Irish brogue speaking in a harsh tone to someone.

            _“No, I am not willing to attack her on some storyline….BECAUSE WHY? Do you really want to know, Trips? I don’t want to hurt my own wife…yep, we are legally married…Ok, fine, I’ll meet you in your office in five…Yes, I’ll text Charlotte to let her know.” He has never known Becky to be so harsh to anyone, especially Trips. He feels as he is not alone anymore and can tell her his secret that he shares with Finn. Knowing that they will run into each other again at some point during the night, Seth makes it a point to seek out both Charlotte and Becky to talk to them._

_Running into Becky, Charlotte as well as Finn at the same time after his match, Seth could not have planned it any better. Pulling Finn aside for a quick second, he can see it in the blue eyes that they both want to say the same things to the ladies in question._

_“There’s something that we want to talk to you about—but away from prying ears. Meet us in the parking lot in ten.” Finn quickly blurts out as he speeds away from the remaining three, leaving them with varying degrees of confusion on their faces. Shrugging it off as another Finn thing, Becky and Charlotte walk right by Seth, making it a point to keeping physical contact to a minimum. He knows that feeling all too well—He and Finn are doing the same dance in the same ballroom. Making his way to the men’s locker room, the tension and anxiety just seem to grow with each passing second. He is both terrified and relieved. Relieved that he is not the only one with the huge burden of hiding his love from everyone, but terrified of what the reactions will be. Everything hangs in the balance. He could either grow closer to the fiery Irish girl and her blonde goddess or fall victim to their rage and disappointment. He has already worked so hard for so long to gain the trust of his former partners, and although he feels as if he is not quite there yet, he is making strides—the rage and disappointment part of this whole ordeal feels as if everything Seth has ever worked for will fall to the wayside._

_Silently fighting with himself as he makes his way to the parking lot, Finn stands there, a little, subtle hint of a smile gracing his face. On the other side of the parking lot, he can see Charlotte and Becky make their way to them. He wants to hold Finn’s hand so badly and holding back is taking every fiber of his being to do. Sighing to himself, he knows that it’s better to rip off the damn band-aid._

_“So…I accidentally overheard your conversation with Trips—and I’m not going to tell anyone, I promise. It’s just that, well, Finn and I are in a similar situation. We got married last week and we really don’t want anyone to find out…you know, for our own safety.” Seth rambles on, and as he takes all of his fear and just spews it out into the air, the tension changes from something of fear to something more akin to joy. He feels arms wrap around him and thinks the arms belong to Finn, but seeing a flash of fiery orange, he realizes that it’s Becky hugging him tightly. He can feel her crying on his shoulder, and he can’t help but do the same. He feels a bond forming between the four of them—one of mutual respect and understanding._

_“Oh, thank god! It’s been so hard to feel like it’s just us here. I’ve wanted to tell everyone about Charlotte and me, but it’s been so hard to figure out who I can and cannot tell. I don’t know who to trust apart from Charlotte, and even she is having a hard time. I just want you guys to know that if you need anything, we got your backs. I just hope you have ours.” Giving him a watery smile, Seth wraps her in his arms again, and through that, she knows that they have support from both Finn and Seth._

The phone in his pocket begins to vibrate, and as he realizes that he’s been sitting in his car after his appointment for the better part of twenty minutes, he looks at the screen and notices that it’s Finn who is calling him.

            “Hey babe, how’s it going? How're the live events?” Seth feels a quick pang of jealousy before smothering it down as Finn begins to speak.

            “It’s going okay, I just wish you were here. I miss you so much. I miss seeing you in the mornings, and I miss going with you to doctor appointments. Speaking of, how is our little bean doing?” He can hear the smile on Finn’s face, and for a second, he can even see it. He wants to hold Finn’s hand—not only because he loves him, but he misses him something awful. Pulling out the ultrasound pictures that were given to him at the conclusion of the appointment, he can see the outline of a tiny face.

            “The appointment went very well! The baby is doing fine! I got to see them move their toes and suck their thumb! I wish you were here to see it with me. The doctor wants me back when I am in my eighteenth week, and she did mention something interesting. She said that because of my muscle mass—and practically strength of my muscles, that I won’t show but the bean will keep growing. I’m going to go train for a bit and then I’ll video call you. I love you.” He feels himself tear up for a second before getting a good grip on his emotions.  Finn replying back with his own admissions of love and sign-off, Seth turns the key in the ignition. The car roars to life and as he makes his way to traffic, he can’t help but still be a little anxious about everyday things. It’s not only just he and Finn anymore—it’s he, Finn, and the bean.

            Pulling into the parking lot of the gym, that's only a couple of blocks from the doctor’s office, he feels a whole different kind of feeling—one of serenity and release. This is where he takes all of his anxious energy and uses it for something productive. Lining himself up with one of the many mirrors on the wall, he looks at the rep counts for the different circuits, knowing that most of them will have to be modified for his well-being. He is also resisting the urge to touch and talk to his stomach because he is the only one who knows what is actually happening underneath his core muscles. Taking a quick gaze of himself in the mirror while working with one of the lighter medicine balls, he tries to see if there is any change in his body—and as the doctor said, he still is not showing. Maybe some point in the near future, but just knowing that the baby is healthy is more than enough for him.


	7. How Deep Is That Treasure You Are Told to Find

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title comes from 'No Hoard of Value' by Jinjer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter took even longer than the previous chapter! Ran into a little writer's block, but since I know where I want this story to go, I think that it should no longer be a problem!

            Having that one-off rare day off, Finn is so glad that the most important and pivotal falls on that same day. Knowing that he can hold Seth’s hand through finding out what the baby is going to be, Finn can feel himself wanting to scream with joy. He and Seth have wanted to know what they were having since the moment Seth told him they were expecting.  There’s a fond smile grazing his face and Seth can’t help but place his palm against the side of Finn’s face. Smiling at him, Seth feels the baby move under his skin—it’s crazy to feel it move. He still looks the same, and that’s both a good and a bad thing. It’s good because he still doesn’t really have to explain what is really happening, but bad because the fans want an actual explanation to his ‘injury’.

            “Babe, do you remember the night we told Trips about the little bean? I thought we were done for. Or the time we had to call Aleister to ask if he knew any doctors that have dealt with the occult and pregnancies—which is two words that I thought I would ever use in the same sentence.” Giggling to himself, Finn’s arm wraps around Seth’s shoulders, blue eyes staring into brown ones. The softest of kisses are exchanged between them, and the subtle shift of the baby makes Seth smile. Taking Finn’s hand and placing it on his stomach, even though Finn can’t quite feel it yet, he can feel their mutual happiness clouding up their little bubble. Gaining the courage to getting out of the car, Finn and Seth’s hands meet.

            “Hey guys, come on back. Are you guys excited to find out?” The friendly nurse leads them to the exam room. Going through all of the normal checkup routines before the scan to find out what they’re having, and after the nurse left, Seth feels the nerves climb up his spine. Finn squeezes his hand, reassuring him that it’s going to be okay. He feels tears build up in his eyes and a subtle shift under his core. Sniffling as a way to try to suppress his emotions, Seth sees Dr. Crowne walk in, and he knows that this is really happening. He can’t believe that he’s gotten this far without harm.

            “I am just so ready to know—Finn keeps saying it’s a girl and I swear on my life it’s a boy.” Hearing Finn laugh makes Seth’s heart jump in his chest. He wants to lean over and kiss the man with the greatest laugh, but instead, he becomes drawn in by the coldness of the gel on his stomach. The sound of a rapid heartbeat fills the room, eyes concentrated on the screen by them. Their baby is moving around—stretching and hiccupping, turning side to side to get more comfortable. Seth can see the rapid movement of the heart, knowing that it’s beating inside a chest that already holds his heart in their hands. Finn’s grip gets a little tight on Seth’s hand, and he realizes that this is the big moment that they both have waited for.

            “Well, it looks like there is a little princess joining the realm! Congratulations you two!” Dr. Crowne announces with glee, and it takes all of Seth’s willpower not to jump up in joy. Boy or girl—he could care less as long as their healthy, but knowing just makes it all that much real to them. Their family is growing by one—a little princess and future queen. Tears make their way down both Seth and Finn’s faces. Their plans for the nursery begin to formulate in their minds…with each one having a different plan on what they want to do with their old office—now the new nursery. Feeling the doctor wipe of the cold gel off his stomach, Seth pulls down his shirt and sits back up on the exam bed, and Dr. Crowne takes a seat on a stool in front of both of them.

            “So, my concern with your baby is that she is measuring a little on the smaller side, which is not really a big deal unless we measure her at the twenty-four-week mark and she stayed the same from today to that appointment. I want to make sure that she is growing, although a little slower than most. It could also be a factor of Seth carrying her towards the back of his stomach, and since he has a lot of core strength, there is not that much give with his muscles. You’ve probably felt a little short of breath recently, and that’s all normal. As she grows, she will push the organs upward. When that happens, I want you to sit down and take some deep breaths. Your boss has informed me about helping you both with creating a report for an ‘undisclosed’ injury. I have come up with several scenarios that might help. There’s the fact that you’ve been previously injured, and thus making this fake injury seem real can and will work to our advantage. We can say that with the last match that you had—around your nine-week mark, you injured your neck, and it seems as if it will take several months for it to heal. We can say that you can’t really go back to rehabbing it right away, considering that the injury was in a very sensitive area...or we can also chalk it up to some type of mysterious illness. Honestly, I think the first option is better because it gives your boss something to work with. I can write up an ‘official’ letter if that would help the case.” Seth can’t believe what he’s hearing. Dr. Crowne just came up with the most perfect idea to help him stay home and help Finn stay on the road without having to question all the time. Taking the leap of faith, Seth approves the ‘injury’, letting Trips know through a text that there is a concrete plan in place for him when it comes to his ‘injury’. Scheduling for the twenty-four-week mark, Seth can’t help but want to jump up and down at the news. Finn smiles at him, knowing that there’s no other person he would rather be doing this with.

            Sitting in the car, they can’t believe what is happening—with the proof of it sitting between their hands. The sonogram picture speaks in whispers—whispers of dreams that were thought to be impossible. A thing of beauty, even for two men who are holding back every emotion in a parking lot in front of a doctor’s office on a Tuesday afternoon. _Little bows and dress—she’ll have all of the best. We’ve waited so long for her—and I’ve waited and wondered when._ Thinking to himself, Seth doesn’t feel Finn reach out and touch his face until fingers are grazing skin. Turning to look at him, Seth notices the light blue of his eyes. The oceans that he could swim if it meant swimming in that color of blue. Seth falls in love every day, and he thought that he was once impossible of such emotion.

            “A little princess, Seth. We’re having a little princess…I can’t believe it. She’s growing and moving around—I just can’t say enough to thank you. You’ve done so much in such a small amount of time. You’ve given up your body to do this—to make this a reality. You even let the demon cut you open, and I don’t know how you did it, but you took the pain and didn’t make a fuss about it. When you were in pain, you didn’t care because all you wanted to do was show me that you were strong enough to take the pain. I just wish that you didn’t feel like you had to hide it from me. I always knew that you were the stronger one of the two of us. To willingly put your body through hell just to have a baby with me—you’ll never know how much that really means to me. Even putting your title on the line so that you could go home and rest, and let her grow, means so much more than the title belt itself.” Leaning over the center consul, Finn places his lips against Seth’s temple, conveying every feeling of love that he has for him. Seth feels tears make their way down his face, and for the first time, they’re tears of joy. He can’t wait to feel her grow, and one day, hold their little princess in their arms.

            “Finn, I would do it all over again if it means that she’ll happen. I wouldn’t have the strength that I do if you weren’t with me. You’ve watched me go through my ups and downs—from believing that I wasn’t worth any of your time to me winning the IC championship for the first time. You’re everything I’ve ever wanted, and it doesn’t hurt that you’re handsome as well. It’s your heart that I love the most though. Our little girl is lucky she gets to have you as her dad.” Kissing Finn on the lips this time, Seth remembers a fact that he realizes will probably change how he and Finn interact with both each other and their baby.

            “I just remembered that she can hear us. She started being able to hear about two weeks ago, but I think she won’t respond back to the noises until the next appointment. Can you believe it though? She’ll hear you when you or I sing, talk, or read to her.” Seth looks down at his still pretty flat stomach, his hand resting on his abs that are still in existence. While Finn drives back to their house, Seth can’t help but let his mind wander back to when he first asked Aleister to find a doctor for him—to deal with his ‘condition’.


	8. To Create Another Form of Miracle {Another Flashback}

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seth and Finn meet their doctor for the first time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title comes from Jinjer's 'Ape'

_“So…how do you know that everything worked?” A few weeks after they tried, Seth knows that something is wrong. He’s been feeling off for about a week. Once his stomach stopped feeling like it was ready to either eat itself or explode, and he felt like he could give himself—everything he’s ever had, felt, or known—over to Finn that night; he’s been feeling tired, overwhelmed, and anxious._

_“I can give you the name of the doctor Velveteen has. She’s pretty cool and understands the circumstances of how you ended up with a baby. From what I’ve heard—or what Velveteen has told me is that she’s more of a white witch. She has a lot of herbs and practices white magic.” Aleister gives Seth a business card with a woman’s name etched on it. There’s a plethora of vines interlacing with each letter, and different types of herbs boarding the edges. It feels less like some business card and more like a key to a future he can only dream of. Thanking Aleister for the referral, he drives to the house he shares with Finn._

_Hearing the dial tone through the speakers of his phone, his knee bounces hard and the heel of his foot tapping so loudly against the floor. The dial tone is disrupted, and a light voice speaks through the speakers._

_“This is the office of Dr. Tatiana Crowne, who specializes in alternative medicine. How can I help you?” Chewing on his lip, there are so many things that he wants to say right out, but composing himself instead he breathes in deeply to calm himself._

_“Hi, I want to schedule an appointment with Dr. Crowne. This would be my first time at her office.” Tapping his fingers against the kitchen island, he wants to bang his head against it instead. There’s a sound of a lock turning followed by the opening of a door and heavy footsteps. Knowing that Finn is now in the house, Seth doesn’t know how he can even open up the conversation about the possibility of future tiny feet joining them. Feeling Finn’s arms wrap around Seth’s waist and lips press against the junction of a neck and shoulder._

_“Yeah, that works. Ok, I’ll be sure to have the paperwork filled out. Oh, I can fill it out online? That works. Yeah, this is my cell phone number. Alright, thank you so much. Bye.” Finn hears bits and pieces of whatever conversation Seth is having, but a feeling of dread starts to make its home in the pit of Finn’s stomach. He thinks that something might be wrong with the man that he loves, and situations begin to play out in his head._

_“Babe, hey…babe? Are you ok?” Seth’s voice breaks through the incessant fog of his thoughts, reality hitting him square in the jaw. There’s a look of anxiety in those brown eyes, and he feels fingers card through his short hair. He knows that there’s something wrong, but he doesn’t want to pressure Seth into talking about it. He sees that Seth is holding something back from him—he can tell just by how quiet Seth is being…not saying much of anything, and his phone is still in his hand when usually it’s face down on the counter._

_“I-I think it worked. I think we’re going to be parents. I just scheduled an appointment for Friday to see this doctor that Aleister said Velveteen went to.” Seth is biting his bottom lip, worried about Finn’s reaction to what he just said. The air becomes thick with anxiety and tainted with doubt. If it was possible, Seth would be running from his problems, thinking that he would not be able to take the answer that he thinks Finn would give._

_“Are we really? You think it’s possible?” Finn’s eyes glaze over with excitement and shock. It’s what they both wanted and waited for. Seth volunteered his body for a family and knowing that Seth could possibly be right makes Finn feel both ecstatic and nervous. Falling down to his knees in front of Seth, his eyes becoming level with Seth’s stomach. Swiping his hand ever so gently over the shirt that covers the stomach that could possibly hold their future child in it. Placing his lips against Seth’s shirt-covered stomach, he lets a few tears fall. He wants to know if they are really going to be impending parents or not._

_“I’m going to the doctor’s tomorrow, and she’s going to do some tests to see if I am or not—do you want to come with me?” Getting back up to his feet as Seth finishes his statement, Finn takes the face that made him fall in love, between his hands, inching closer to press his lips against softer, warmer, giving ones. Looking into those brown eyes that make him feel too much at times, Seth is holding back tears as well. Placing his forehead against Seth’s, he falls more in love with Seth. Finn wants to just wrap up Seth, hold him close and tell him of the love that he finds himself diving deeper into. There are no words to even respond to Seth’s question, so all Finn can do is just nod. Of course, he would love to go with Seth. He wouldn’t leave Seth alone to find out something huge—as huge as finding out if they are going to be parents or not._

_Seth ends up wrapping his legs around Finn’s waist, his arms around his shoulders. Kisses are being exchanged as Finn makes his way to their shared bedroom, barely missing the corner of a hallway table. Things become heated that night, and if their efforts hadn’t worked out before, they had a possibility of it working out after._

_Waking next to each other the next morning, Seth smiles to himself. Today would be the day in which he would find out if he is going to be a parent with Finn. A deep sigh comes out of Finn before he is waking up, reaching out to hold Seth’s hand. Fingers intertwine between both of them, Finn leans in to kiss Seth._

_“I’m nervous, but I am also ready to find out. If we were successful, then I am so happy to be on this journey with you. If not, well, we can keep trying—and have fun at the same time.” Seth smiles to himself again, Finn giggling right beside him. Getting themselves up and ready, the feeling is that of hope and excitement. They want it to be true—they want to be parents so badly that they resorted to unusual means to achieve it. Giving themselves one last glimpse in the mirror, Seth sees Finn right behind him, placing a kiss on the side of his face._

_By the time that they are even sitting in the waiting room, they both feel like running and hiding. It’s almost becoming too much for them to handle. When the nurse calls Seth to follow her, they both shoot up off their seats. Going through all the prerequisites for the nurses to fill out charts, Finn looks at him with loving eyes. There’s a light knock on the door followed by a short woman with long black hair in a white lab coat. She introduces herself as Dr. Crowne, and Seth feels the energy in the room shift._

_“Hello, I’m Dr. Crowne, and I see in your paperwork that you’re here for a pregnancy test. I am going to hand you this, and when you come back, I’m going to do a blood test on you as well. It shouldn’t take long to get the results.” The doctor hands Seth a cup, and without saying anything, he already knows what it is for. Getting himself into the bathroom to do what he needs to, Seth just wants this whole thing to be over. He wants to know—anticipation has been eating at both he and Finn. After finishing using the bathroom, he covers the cup with a piece of toilet paper and walks back into the exam room. He feels embarrassed that he even has to hold the cup and hand it over to the doctor in the first place._

_“Well, while that test is working itself out, I’m going to draw some blood and send it off to our onsite lab.” Dr. Crowne wraps a rubber tourniquet around Seth’s arm, finding a vein and inserting the needle into it. Holding back the wince that is his reaction, he instead looks at Finn, whose knee is bouncing in anticipation. The tourniquet is untied, and the doctor places a bandage over the small puncture. She leaves the room for a couple of minutes, presumably to hand off the small tube of blood to the lab. Finn’s hand intertwines with his, and Seth wants to cry. He doesn’t know what he should feel—on one hand, he wants to know so badly because it’s the final piece of the puzzle for them both. The door opens softly, and the doctor walks right to the small counter, the cup with the test right next to the sink. Swiping her ID, she unlocks her computer and opens Seth’s file._

_“Well, congratulations! According to this test, you are expecting. I am just waiting on the results of the blood test to confirm.” She smiles at them both, and Finn’s grip on Seth’s hand gets a little tighter. Waiting for the results of the blood test really only take a couple of minutes, but to them, it feels like an eternity. They both know that usually, blood tests take a long time to come back with results, but knowing that there is an onsite lab eases their worries. A sound of something arriving on the doctor’s computer shoots their attention to what the doctor is doing. She reads the results carefully, before exiting out of the file and swiping her ID, locking the computer._

_“As suspected, you are expecting! Now a couple of questions. When did you think you started feeling off? Was there a moment when? I know the situation that has landed both of you here, and be assured, I do have experience in that world.” She looks at Seth directly, and he feels like he is under a microscope. Thinking back on everything that he has felt over the last four weeks, he can pinpoint around the time in which he didn’t feel like himself._

_“I would have to say about four weeks ago I started feeling off. He and I had a night two weeks prior, so maybe that is when it happened?” She nods to herself as she writes down some quick notes, probably to assess their situation later. Finn begins to wrap Seth in his arms, only because he can tell when Seth is nervous and on the verge of crying._

_“Alright, that gives me everything I need to know! From the look of things, I would estimate that you are about six weeks in, and I am going to schedule you for an eight-week sonogram. At this point, I really won’t be able to pick up a heartbeat just yet, so I am going to give it two weeks.” She smiles at them again before walking out, Seth and Finn follow her to the receptionist counter. The receptionist hands them a card with a date and time, that luckily is a free day for both of them._


	9. For the Minds Never Taught to Listen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title comes from the song 'Words of Wisdom' by Jinjer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I have been working on this chapter for a couple of days now, and wow, it ended up being a bit longer than the previous chapters. As always: enjoy!

            “The baby looks to be doing very well for the twenty-four-week mark! She right now is starting to realize where up and down are, and she can definitely hear you guys now. Have you started to feel her a little stronger? Is she kicking hard enough to be felt on the outside?   Have you guys sat down to discuss names yet? Looking at her measurements for this week, she is still on the small side, but I have a feeling that she is going to be fine, despite her size by the time of her birth.” Dr. Crowne smiles at both of them, the flickering screen of the ultrasound machine showing a perfect picture of a future queen. Seth still can’t believe it—even if he feels her move under his skin, he thinks that one day he will wake up to realize that the happiness he’s gotten was all a dream. There’s always that nagging feeling in the back of his mind that tells him that everything he sees is all an illusion, and his reality is not as rosy as he believes. He feels someone tighten their grip on his hand and knowing that it’s Finn brings him some sort of comfort. He realizes that the screen to the ultrasound machine has been shut off, and Finn holding the print-outs of the session in his other hand.

            “You were back in your head again, weren’t you?” Finn sighs in discontent, knowing that letting Seth get too into his own head will hurt him more than help. He doesn’t want to watch the love of his lie—the other parent of his child—self-destruct right in front of him. Finn has already been a witness to a self-destruction episode before they were ever official. It had hurt Finn to his core to see Seth like that, and he made a silent promise to himself, and a pact with his demon that if he never had to see Seth like that again, that he would do anything and everything to keep him happy in this life. The sad part is that Finn already knows what it’s like to be self-destructive and letting the feeling of worthlessness take over. Instead of wanting to think too much more into it though, Finn just stands to kiss Seth before helping him sit up. Although Seth will probably never show, it still has affected his center of gravity.

            “Sometimes I just feel like this is not real. I’m not meant to be happy and content…or to have the love of my life with me and having a child with him. I always thought that everything that ever happens to me—good or bad—it was something that I did to deserve it. When Dean went through his whole ‘anti-me’ phase, it ate me up inside, but I also knew that it was my fault. I taught him that it was okay to be a traitor and to hurt the ones you love. I showed him what it’s like to love someone so much that you actually hate them. I made him the way he became, and so when all of it exploded back in my face, I knew that I would just have to sit and take it. It was my fault after all that he became ruthless and angry.” Seth can only look down at his hands playing with the hem of his shirt. He feels Finn lean against him but pulling him close at the same time. Finn’s hand ends up spread out over Seth’s stomach, and he feels their daughter kick. Smiling to himself, he still feels as if this was a mistake—that this life was meant for someone else but him.

            “Babe, I’m as real as you are…she’s as real as we are. It was never your fault that Dean turned out the way he did. He held a lot of his anger and frustration in for such a long time that when it finally piled up enough, you were the safest target to unleash it on. You sat there and took it because you thought you deserved it. You keep thinking that it’s your fault and that you walk this fine line between guilt and pleasure. You want to believe that everything that happens to you is because you did something to provoke that outcome. I just want you to know that most of the time, you just being you is what made me fall in love. I knew who you were—who you are from the first moment I saw you. In my mind, you were always mine and I was always yours—even if we danced around it for a while. Now c’mon babe, we have to get you to drink this thing before the doctor can run some tests on you, ok?” Seth just feels numb as Finn places a Styrofoam cup in his hand, a straw sticking out from the middle of the lid. Sipping down the drink as Finn leads him out of the first exam room to another part of the office—the blood lab, Seth feels nerves crawl up his spine. He hates needles, but knowing that it’s for his baby’s health is what pushes him through to getting the needle put in his arm an hour later.

            “Well Seth, after I ran the blood myself, the test came back negative for pregnancy-related diabetes, which is a huge plus. Keep eating the way you’re eating, but do lighten up on the _Cross-Fit_. I don’t want you to pull a muscle in your back while having that shift in your center of gravity. Go to the checkout desk and schedule for your twenty-eight-week appointment.” Dr. Crowne smiles at them again before leaving the second exam room. Seth feels relief—a worry lighter, and a whole lot happier. Finn’s hand finds its way to his, and for the second time in that visit, Finn snaps him out of his own thoughts.

            “Sweetheart, let’s go schedule for the next appointment, and then we can go home and cuddle. What do you say?” Finn smiles at Seth, and all he can think about is how much he loves to wake up to it. Every morning that he gets to see Finn lying next to him, makes him feel loved. Seth’s hand ends up on his stomach, feeling their daughter kick back in response to the voices she hears. He’s noticed lately, that every time either he or Finn speak, she tends to kick and roll—as if responding to just their voices and no one else. Making their way to the parking lot of the doctor’s office, Finn places the newest sonogram picture on the dashboard, knowing that their baby is doing well. Hitting the road back to their house, Seth is struck by the funniest memory.

            “Last week, we settled on that injury angle, and thank the heavens that the fans took to it very well. Trips face when we finally presented him the final write-up of the announcement was priceless. He looked kind of shocked that we got Dr. Crowne to even create a letter in the first place. To say he was shocked was an understatement—it was more of disbelief mixed with confusion. After explaining to him what we wanted to do with that angle, I was just relieved that he was finally okay with it. I want to ask you something though, Finn…what do you think of telling the rosters about us—about what the injury really is? I’ve had Roman and Dean text me every day, trying to get me to tell them how my injury happened, and how long I’m going to be out for. I don’t think I can keep us in the dark anymore—and I don’t want to. Especially when our baby is born. I want to be proud to show you both off as my family, and to tell people how much I love you.” Seth is holding back tears, biting his lip to make himself focus on anything but the desperate feeling of despair in his chest. He wants to be able to tell Dean and Roman—even if Dean hates him on screen, they’re still the best of friends off-screen. He wants to be able to walk hand in hand with Finn through the backstage area and be able to post family pictures everywhere he can. He feels Finn grab his hand and give it a gentle squeeze, realizing that the car sits quietly on the parking pad in front of the garage of their house.

            “Yeah—I want to tell them too, and I just want to make sure that you’re ready to tell them. I know I am. I want you to feel comfortable enough that when you do call Trips to ask for a meeting with the entire roster from _NXT_ , _RAW_ , and _SMACKDOWN_ , that you won’t stress yourself out in the process. I will be there with you in any way you want me to when you tell the roster.” Finn smiles at Seth before leaning over the center consul to kiss him. Finn hears Seth’s breath hitch, and he knows that Seth is about to cry in earnest. Getting himself out of the car first, Finn opens the passenger side door to help Seth out of the car.

            Leading him to the farthest room in their one-floor house, Finn helps to lay Seth down on their bed. Seth turns on his side, still sobbing over the prospect of finally being able to release this weight that has held him back from being truly happy. Relief rushes over him, knowing that in telling the roster, he can show Finn all of the love he has held back in public. Feeling Finn tuck himself around him, Seth just snuggles closer to Finn’s body. As Finn begins to hum some song that he knows from a distant memory, Seth’s hand joins Finn on top of Seth’s stomach. Their baby is kicking and rolling, trying to find a spot to get comfortable after feeling the slight spike of stress from Seth.

            _“Seth, you must know about what is going to happen to you next. I promised Finn that there would be no harm to you when your time comes to have your child, but you have to know what that entails. There will be pain, and whether you choose to be awake during the operation is up to you. Everything will feel like you were set on fire from the inside, and there could be a possibility of you fading from it. Finn would be heart-broken and devastated if he lost you, and he would no longer have control of himself, thus disturbing my slumber. He will lose himself in his darkness, destroying everything he has ever worked for. It’s out of my hands if you live or die, but you have to make the choice to.” Knowing that the choice is his, Seth already knows that he will fight to stay with Finn and his baby. He’s worked so hard for everything, and he will not give it up._

_“Tell me something, demon king, if you know my answer to the question, then why even ask it? I will fight, just like I fought to be a parent with Finn, to stay with Finn after my daughter is born. You have a deal with Finn, and even though you only see him as your vessel, he is more to me than you will ever know. Without him, I would be nothing. I wouldn’t have meaning, and I would be dragging myself through this life alone. Do not let me down, demon king. Though you have the title of ‘king’, it is my king, Finn, who completely owns you, and not the other way around. If I were you, I would hold my tongue.” Feeling rage course through his body, Seth can’t believe that the demon could say such things as if he already gave up on himself. He never thought that even if Finn had a deal with the demon, that the demon would ever say something like that. Looking beyond the darkness, there is a pinpoint of light—but it’s coming from inside his own chest and not at all in the distance._

“Sweetheart, I don’t know how to tell you this, but, I can’t wait to have you in my arms. I have waited so long for you to be here, and your papa and I have wanted you since we found out about you. You were ours from that moment, and I would fight anyone who would try to hurt you or your papa. Sometimes, I’m scared that I’m no good for your papa. I always think I’m going to hurt him if I touch him, and I’ve only felt worse when thinking about you. I want to hold you so badly in my arms, but I’m afraid that I’ll hurt you too. I feel as if you and papa would be better off without me. I bring so much destruction and chaos with me, and it’s only because of the demon king. If it wasn’t for him though, you wouldn’t exist. I guess what I’m trying to say is that—” Seth’s hand reaches down to card his fingers through Finn’s hair. He can feel Finn’s lips press against the side of his bare stomach before being eye to eye with him. There are tears welling up in the blue eyes, and Seth reaches out to pull Finn closer.

            “Babe, don’t you ever say that you’re not good for us. You could never hurt me by touching me, and you will definitely not hurt our princess either. You are the kindest, most loyal, most beautiful soul I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. Your heart is so big, sometimes I wonder how do you have that much love to give. I feel as if I am the one who doesn’t deserve you. The demon king warned me that I could die when our daughter is born and then asked that if it came down to life and death, that I would have to be the one to pick what happens. I asked him why he would even bother to ask that question in the first place if he already knows the answer. I know he has tried to take you over before—and believe me, if it means fighting the demon king to keep you, I will do so, but until then, I told the demon that he must know his place. You own him, and you tell him what to do, not the other way around.” Seth leans closer to Finn, lips pressing against each other while tears trail down their faces. There is always a type of pain in joy, and Seth knows that as long as Finn feels the ropes of the demon holding him down, that there is no true joy until Finn realizes that he controls the demon. He owns the demon, and the demon is just lucky that he has Finn and not Seth to answer to.


	10. Don't Deny the Past You Lived, Don't Neglect the Future You Have

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title comes from 'Who's Gonna Be The One?' by Jinjer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted this chapter to go one way, but it wrote itself in the opposite direction

            “Finn, I don’t know how I’m going to do this…I mean they haven’t really noticed anything different and I don’t know if I can go up there and just say it. I love you so much, but I don’t know if them knowing about our baby should be something that should be said right now…” Seth’s voice trails in discontent and confusion at the situation he is being presented. They had both talked about telling the rosters the truth, knowing that in the long run, it would make it better for them as a family to be around each other. Finn wants to show off Seth to the world and to tell them that Seth is braver than anyone else he knows. Seth, on the other hand, wants to fade away into the wall.

            Seth flashes back and forth between memories and realities of his situation thus far. He never really got the chance to tell Finn about the phone call he had this morning with Dr. Crowne. At least he can save that piece of good news until after the announcement. Finn’s arm wraps around his waist, and since they are in a small room away from all of the noise and chaos of the confused rosters, he feels a hand spread over his stomach, on top of his belly button, that luckily never changed.

            “Are you okay? I know this is stressful for you, and I can’t imagine what you’re going through right now, but just know that once it is all said and done, we will know who our true friends are.” Finn’s lips press against the side of Seth’s face as a light tap on the door captures their attention. Trips peers in from the hallway, making sure that he’s not interrupting something else before entering. The door closing behind him, Seth finds the cushions of an old couch that has seen better days more comforting than the prospect of saying something. Finn’s hand moves from his stomach to squeeze back on his hand that lies flat on his lap.

            “So, I want you both to know that I will be there in the room for support. I can be up in the front if you guys need it, but I do think that this is really important, not only for you both but for the whole roster. I think that the relationship you both have—professional and personal is one of the healthiest ones I’ve ever seen between two people who share a workspace. We’re ready for you guys.” Trips nods at both of them before leaving the small room, and all Seth can do is try to make himself as small as possible on the couch. He wants to tell everyone about his husband and his baby—but he feels as if he is really ready to only talk about Finn.

            “Finn…I don’t know if we can really tell them about the baby—I’m fine with telling them about us, but our daughter is a completely new territory that I don’t think they’ll understand. I think it would be better to just tell a few people we really trust separately.” Seth is practically pleading with Finn, knowing that some of the members of the roster will not take well to the news. He already noticed a subtle change to his body—but he can at least chalk that up to his workouts. It was a sign that everything was going to be okay, but first, he still had to tell Finn about the conversation with Dr. Crowne. Finn runs his hand through the loose strands of his hair, and Seth leans into the touch.

            “Babe, let’s get it over with. I agree with you though on just telling the ones we trust on the roster about our baby. I also love that she sort of decided to make an appearance—your stomach looks like you’ve hit the gym too hard, but I know it’s actually just her growing and rolling. I am so lucky to just have you.” Seth is taken aback by Finn’s observation of his body. He always thought that Finn really didn’t notice any changes in his body. But he would be the first one to admit that his stomach looks more of someone who is a competitive weightlifter rather than someone who is having a baby, so it’s not that far-fetched of an idea that he could have taken up with more lifting sessions rather than not doing any at all. Feeling their yet-to-be-named daughter rolling around and stretching in his stomach, Seth knows that he needs to sit down with Finn and hash out a list of names. His hand goes to settle against his stomach while smiling down towards it. Finn’s lips end up on the side of his face while another hand joins his.

            “C’mon babe, I think it’s time we go. The sooner we tell them about us, at least, the sooner we can go home and I can focus on the two of you.” Finn smiles at Seth while getting off the old couch and extending his hand out to help Seth get up. Even though he’s not really showing, his center of gravity has been thrown off. His back muscles are straining with the extra weight yet, he’s been able to hide the tell-all ‘waddle’ very well. Finn’s arm wraps around his shoulders, pulling him close as they walk together to the door that leads to the large, lecture-hall like room. There is a small window in the door and they can both see that the room is practically packed with the whole roster. Taking in a deep breath, Seth pulls the door back, letting himself, followed by Finn into the room. The idle chattering in the room ceases as all eyes focus on the two of them.

            “Hey everyone. I know a lot of you have been worried about what’s been going on with me. I can tell you that obviously, I am fine. That is not the reason why you are all here though. A lot of you have been wondering why I spend so much time with Finn outside of the ring—or where I have gone since being ‘injured’. I’ve really have been avoiding social media as well, so I apologize if I worried any of you.” He feels Finn’s hand in his, and he can tell that some of the roster members noticed the subtle action. Hearts pounding in ears, Finn sighs, knowing that this will change the dynamic of how the roster works.

            “Seth and I are married—we’ve been married for a couple of years now. It’s getting hard not being able to show him how much I love him while we’re backstage. I know a lot of you guys miss Seth and trust me, I miss him being on the road with us, but don’t worry, he should be back soon. That’s pretty much the whole thing—oh and I’ll see some of you on Monday!” Finn could care less about those who don’t agree with his relationship, but he does make his grip on Seth’s hand a little tighter. Charlotte, Becky, Sasha, and Bayley are making their way down to meet with them. He can tell that Becky knows something else is up but wants to talk to him face to face. Sheamus and Cesaro end up making their way down towards Seth, knowing that they have had the same journey to get to the point that they are at. Lastly, there’s Aleister and Velveteen standing right next to them. Seth can see that Velveteen is having the exact same experience as he is. Walking over to Velveteen, Seth pulls him aside to talk amongst themselves.

            “Yours not showing either? Dr. Crowne told me that since I am all muscle, that my baby will grow but I won’t look like I am having a baby.” Seth smiles and all he can see is the look of relief that crosses Velveteen’s face. He can tell that Velveteen has had a hard time with his situation, and doesn’t know how to express his concerns.

            “How—did you deal with the constant doubt? I just feel like Aleister could have done so much better, and that I don’t deserve anything that he has given me…including our son. It’s so hard to tell the voices in my head to shut up for a second so I can just enjoy being with Aleister and feeling our son move.” Tears want to spill from Velveteen’s eyes and all Seth can do is pull him in for a hug. Seth has had those feelings too, and even though he’s better now, they’re still there. The thoughts linger in the shadows of his mind, and when they want to come out, Finn’s there to hold his hand and tell him that he’s doing a wonderful job. Looking to his side, Finn is standing right next to him, wiping the stray tears from his eyes. Finn leans forward to capture Seth’s lips with his and pull Seth closer. Seth can only wrap his arms around Finn’s neck, concentrating on Finn’s hand against his back and lips against his hair. He can see that Aleister has joined Velveteen, who is still crying. Aleister’s tattooed hand presses itself against Velveteen’s stomach, with Velveteen joining him. Someone clears their throat, bursting their little bubble of comfort.

            “Do one of you guys want to tell us what is going on? I mean, I already knew that Seth and Finn are married, but I know there is something more.” Becky chimes in, while Charlotte is holding her hand. Looking at his group of friends, he lets the anxiety crawl up his back for a second before the adrenaline takes effect.

            “Well, the other big piece of news that I didn’t feel like sharing with the whole roster is that I’m pregnant. Finn and I are having a little girl, and no, we haven’t picked names out yet and that is something we really need to discuss, right Finn?” Trying his best to distract himself from the audible gasp that fills the room. The only person who seems to realize how it even happened in the first place is Becky, who gets the face of sudden realization.

            “WAIT! HOW! How did you survive that? Jeez, I almost died the first time I met the demon king.” Now everyone is looking at her like she’s grown a second head, and Seth is relieved that the attention is at least of him for a second. The door behind him creaks open, Dean and Roman walk in—late as usual. He might as well call them over. Having those two join the group, he smiles at them before lifting his hand to show the wedding band.

            “Damn! I knew it! To Finn, right?” Dean exclaims as Roman is laughing at the whole scene in front of him. Then Roman’s eyebrows lift, noticing that Seth is holding his stomach with one hand, while the other holds Finn’s. Seth can only smirk, knowing that telling his stablemates about the baby will be the last remnants of stress that leave him.

            “So, let me get this right—the demon king helped you guys conceive…by taking some of his demon powers and putting them in Seth’s stomach? And to do that, the demon had to cut Seth open and Aleister had to collect the black plume that was then turned into a ball and put into Seth’s open stomach? WOW…that sounds insane, but I wouldn’t put it past the demon to do something like that.” Seth can see the moment in which both Dean and Roman realize that Seth is having a baby. Their jaws drop in shock while eyes move up and down, between looking at his face and his stomach, a smile breaks out on Roman’s face first before being engulfed in huge arms.

            “I can’t believe it! I’m going to be an uncle!” Roman is more excited about the baby than he was when he first found out. Dean is a little more reserved in his reaction, knowing that even if he is not showing it, Dean will still support him and Finn through this. Seth can only thank the stars that his support system hasn’t changed, and more importantly, that Finn is the most supportive person he’s ever met. Feeling his daughter press a foot against his stomach, his hand covers the spot where he felt it as he smiles to himself.


	11. I Wanna Feel That Bitter Taste

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title comes from Jinjer's 'Exposed As A Liar'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter practically wrote itself!

             “So, the baby looks like she is still a little behind for twenty-eight weeks, but again, it’s because of your muscles and not because there’s something really wrong. From what I can see with your diet, you are doing very well with what you’re putting in your body. I can see that the baby is very healthy despite her size. Have you both talked about names, or what your plans are for when you are ready to have the baby?” Dr. Crowne sits down on one of the stools in the small exam room, and while Seth is alone in the room, Finn is still there via video call. Finn signs through the phone’s audio feed, and Seth is thankful that he doesn’t have to speak.

            “We have not had time to do either those things—with him being home and me being on the road, all we’ve focused on is our baby when we’re together. He and I have been so worried about her wellbeing—and I have been worried about Seth as well. I know that when I get home tonight, those two subjects are going to be the topics of conversation.” Seth can only nod along; his throat feels dry with emotions that he can’t comprehend. While Dr. Crowne turns off the ultrasound machine and flipping the light switch next to it, Seth can only squint at the sudden brightness. Rubbing his eyes to get them to adjust, he brings up the phone to face him.

            “Hey babe, I can’t wait to see you tonight. We’ve been missing you so much—especially a little princess has been restless without you.” Seth and Finn giggle to themselves as Dr. Crowne asks Seth to follow her to the check-out desk before leaving. The nurse at the computer nods at him before handing over an appointment card for the thirty-week checkup. Nodding to the nurse and the doctor, Seth leaves the sterile office, preferring the brush of a breeze against his skin. Finn is still on the phone, just talking to him about anything and everything.

            “Babe, I am going to have to put the phone on the dashboard, so I can drive, but I am definitely going to keep talking to you.” Seth turns the key to the ignition, the car starting up with a quiet roar of the engine. Making sure that there is no one—or no other cars behind him, he pulls out of the parking spot he was in and onto the main road. It’s not that much of a drive from their house to the doctor’s office, so he takes the time to admire the warmth of Florida against his skin.

            “I can’t wait until you’re home. I can’t believe we haven’t sat down yet and hashed out any of our plans for her…she doesn’t even have a name yet—nor a room. What kind of future parents are we.” He feels his baby move under his skin, and while stopping at a red light, he places one of his hands against his stomach and smiles to himself. Finn can tell just by looking at Seth how excited he is to have this baby. At first, it was so difficult for both of them to wrap their minds around the possibility—and eventual truth of the situation. Then their lives just became a whirlwind after that. Going from city to city and hotel to hotel, never staying in one place for more than twenty-four hours. Driving constantly on endless highways that lead to one place but not another. When finally, they both decided that it was time for Seth to stay home until their baby is born, it was one of the easiest decisions they could have ever made. Yet, knowing that when Finn makes it home, picking a name and a theme for their baby won’t be as easy.

            “Hey, they’re calling me up soon. Make sure you watch the beginning of _RAW_ tonight, I am opening the show.” Finn smiles at him before ending the call while Seth is pulling into the driveway of their house. Unlocking the door, Seth checks the mailbox for mail before stepping inside, the air conditioning enveloping him in a cool embrace. There are twenty minutes before the show starts, and he and the baby are hungry. His stomach begins to grumble and his baby begins to move around, making her displeasure known.

            “Alright, alright, I’m sorry. Papa’s got to eat something so you’re not mad at him.” His hand moves over his stomach again, trying to calm down the baby under it. Finding some snacks in the back of the cabinets, he’s able to settle himself down on one of his couches before turning on the T.V. The open sequence starts, and not too long after, Finn’s music is playing through the speakers on the T.V. There is a cloud of fake fog clouding at Finn’s feet as he does his entrance. Seth can feel his heart swell with pride at just the mere sight of Finn in his wrestling gear with the IC belt around his waist. Finn has a mic in his hand, and he becomes a little too nervous about what Finn is about to say.

            “WOW! Orlando! Welcome to _MONDAY NIGHT RAW!_ You know, the last couple of weeks have been wild, going from not even being close to having a belt around my waist, to facing Seth Rollins for the _Intercontinental Championship_ , to having it around my waist—all I can say is there is nothing stopping me now! A lot of you guys have been asking about when will I get my shot at the Universal Championship, and to be honest, it’s not really up to me. Unfortunately, it’s up to the idiot who runs this place—hey Baron, why don’t you come out here, face me like a man, and tell me why you won’t put me in a title match with Brock Lesnar…you know, the man who is never here to defend a title that he doesn’t deserve. I am still owed my rematch for a title that I never lost!” Baron’s music begins to play through the arena, and Seth’s heart begins to beat a little faster while his baby keeps moving, unpleased with the sudden spike of stress.

            “Sorry honey, I’ll make sure to stay calm.” He begins to rub his hand on his stomach, trying to calm down the little princess within. Baron towers over Finn, and all Seth can think about is how scared he is. He knows that Baron has it out for Finn for one reason or another, but it never made sense to him. It’s not fair that Baron goes after Finn night after night, especially when he is not there to help out when Baron brings Drew into the mix. The reason for it too is so stupid, considering that Baron is ridiculously jealous of the reception that Finn gets night after night.

            “Well, well, well…Finn. I could give you a title opportunity tonight, but Brock isn’t here tonight. You aren’t owed anything, by the way, you don’t even deserve the rematch with Brock. Tell you what though, you can have a match tonight, against this guy…” Drew’s music begins to play through the speakers of the T.V. and Seth wants to just scream. He just wants to see his husband get a fair chance for once. _He deserves that championship more than I ever would!_ Seth is still trying to stay as calm as possible, but it’s starting to get hard to, especially when Finn is being thrown about the ring by Drew. His baby begins to move again, trying to tell him in her own way to calm down. His hand ends up right over his navel, and for a second, she’s still before she begins to press a foot against his hand. He begins to play along, lightly poking her foot every time she presses it against his stomach. At some point during the match, Finn ends up having Drew in a submission pose, making Drew tap out. Seth was so enthralled by his daughter that he barely noticed the win until it was announced.

            “Daddy won, and he’s going to be home tonight! Maybe you could show him your new tricks.” Seth smiles to himself, still poking the little imprints of feet that keep appearing. He ends up having to go to the bathroom at some point, as his daughter is laying right next to his bladder. Sighing, he lifts himself the best he can off the couch, before shuffling over to the half bathroom closest to the living room. He doesn’t even notice the turn of the lock or the sound of keys being placed on a key hook near the door. He damn near gives himself a heart attack when he runs into Finn.

            “Oh damn...I thought you were an intruder for a moment.” Trying to catch his breath, his lungs have a burning sensation in them. Finn wraps his arms around Seth’s shoulders, pulling him close before a face is being pressed against the top of his shoulder. By the shuddery sounds, Finn is making, coupled with a sudden dampness on his shirt, Seth knows that his husband has felt this match particularly hard. Not caring for the rest of the show, Seth parts from Finn to grab the remote control. He pulls Finn back in as he turns off the T.V. and begins to lead Finn back to their shared room. Seth makes Finn lay down with him, knowing that Finn won’t do anything but just try to hide from everyone. Pulling him close, Seth can feel Finn’s hand on his stomach.

            “Babe, what’s gotten you so riled up?” He asks as Finn sighs, trying to get control of his breathing. He thinks that it’s all just pressing down on him—not being able to challenge for the UC belt, or not be bullied by Baron and Drew. Especially the feeling of not being wanted for the company you work for.

            “It’s just that I’ve been waiting for a while for a rematch that is not going to happen at this point. I don’t know how much longer I can sit back and watch Brock have the _Universal Championship_ belt around his waist, even though he doesn’t care about us at all. He barely shows up as it is, and people basically feel as though the championship you gave me is more prestigious than the one Brock has.” Finn pushes himself closer to his husband, wanting to just feel something for once. Seth’s hands begin to play with his hair while he wipes tears off his face. Seth’s lips end up against his forehead, and for once, he has that feeling that he is wanted right where he is.

            “I know babe, and I am so angry for you. So, angry in fact, that our little princess had to remind me multiple times to calm down—speaking of her, have you thought of any names because I have some in mind. Have you thought about what we should do with the empty spare room to turn it into the nursery?” Seth smiles at Finn and for once, he feels lighter in his feelings. Of course, it’s not fair that he feels like he’s not wanted—even if he works so hard to just put on the matches he has. All he wants is a fair and honest opportunity to prove himself to the fans, to the roster, and especially to his opponents.


	12. Pain Cuts Right Up To The Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Title comes from Jinjer's 'Waltz'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took a little longer than expected to post, I have had a very rough week

            “Hey Seth, how’s the thirtieth week been treating you? Have you slowed down your exercising regimen? Better yet, has there been a name picked out?” Dr. Crowne smiles to herself as Seth watches the monitor on the ultrasound machine. He can’t believe that he is already in his thirtieth week. It feels like it was just yesterday that he was finding out that he was having a daughter with the man he loves.

            “It’s been a little quiet so far. I have found myself having a bit of a hard time breathing through all of my regimens, so I had to slow it down a bit. She’s pushing upwards right now so my lungs and everything else is still being squished. Luckily, Finn and I have finally picked out a name. We settled on Aoife Grace, and she does kick every time either Finn or I say her name. I started counting her kicks and she averages about 20-30 kicks in a two-hour span. She has really become active in the last several weeks. She likes to press her foot up against my stomach when she’s either mad or she wants to play.” Seth laughs to himself, thinking of all of the times in which he’s found an outline of a foot sticking out of his stomach in the last week. He wouldn’t have it any other way though, only because she is telling him that she’s still there.

            “Have you and Finn started to decorate the nursery?” Dr. Crowne is genuinely excited for both of them, knowing the backstory of how they got to the present. Seth always thinks about the theme of the nursery now, and in giving her a name, her room started to come together easily. Finn has had an artist that he’s known for a while to come in and create a whole scene from her namesakes. I am more excited about her—and every little thing she does.” Seth smiles to himself, and he feels hurt at the same time—and it’s not because of something Finn did. No, it’s more of the fact that Finn has to miss another appointment and he has no say in how many days he can be with Seth. This time, he can’t even reach Finn on the count that he’s doing a live show in Europe. All he has is the glossy photos from the appointment. Knowing that he’s going to have to see Dr. Crowne every two weeks, he is both sad and excited. Sad because he knows that Finn will miss out on almost all of the appointments up until their due date.

            Arriving home, Seth has an invisible weight pressing against his heart. Knowing that it’s just him in the house, he begins to outright cry—just letting his own sadness leave his body for the first time in months. He knows that even if Finn were to see him like this, it wouldn’t matter. Finn loves him for him—the good, the horrible, and the amazing. He wishes that he could still be on the road with Finn—at least being able to see him every day and not feel like a single parent. Aoife starts kicking him from under his skin, and he realizes that he’s raising his own heartbeat without even trying.

            “I’m so sorry Aoife, papa’s just upset that daddy’s not here to see you. I wish he were, he would have loved to see you move.” Feeling as if everything is crashing around him, Seth makes himself go to his shared room—trying to at least calm himself down enough so that he can get a nap in. Turning on his side, his eyes come upon Finn’s pillow—which hasn’t been used in weeks on the count that Finn has been on the road for most of the third trimester. Seth takes the pillow and puts it to his nose, inhaling the faint smell of Finn’s cologne. Tears make their way down his face, the pain of missing his other half finally bursting out of him. His heart feels as if it has been ripped out of his body, and it has just been beating for weeks without reason.

            “I know you miss him too honey, papa’s just sad too. I wish daddy was here so he could hug me and talk to you.” Just then the ringtone on his phone begins to blare out from the speakers. Not bothering to look at the caller id, he answers it, only to realize that it’s a video call with Finn. He quickly begins to wipe the tears off his face, but it’s too late—Finn’s already seen them. Seth can tell by the look in Finn’s eyes, his heart is breaking from being too far from home. Finn starts to look up towards the ceiling—a tell-all sign that Finn’s trying not to cry too.

            “Hey babe, when are you coming home?” He sniffles as Finn looks back at him through the screen on the phone, the earlier move being useless anyway because the tears are still streaming down Finn’s face. Seth wishes he could be there to just hug him and tell him not to feel sad. Their daughter begins to move around, turning to the sounds outside of her world. He knows that she hears her other parent’s voice and it puts Seth at ease, knowing that when she is born, that she will know them.

            “Soon babe, I promise. I miss you both so much—how is Aoife doing? I can’t believe we finally gave her a name. How is the nursery going? Are you having problems putting together anything?” Finn’s always worrying about him, and it’s kind of endearing to have that. It hasn’t really happened since the last time he was with his friends in _The Shield_. The last person to parent him was Roman—before he picked Dean’s side—even if Dean hated him. Even though they have all made amends, it’s still shaky ground for them. He’s still upset at the fact that when he thought that everything was all good, that Dean would turn around and just attack him—for what reason, he still doesn’t know. It was exhausting for him to fight someone who he thought had his back while at the same time making sure that his relationship wasn’t in any danger to be exposed.

            “I also can’t believe that we finally settled on a name for the little princess. The nursery is going alright—I am having some issues putting the crib together but, Aleister and Velveteen should be here tomorrow to help me finish up. The mural came out amazing! Tell your friend that he did some great work and that I can’t believe that his art isn’t in like at _The Met_. She’s been moving up a storm lately, and I’m happy about that, but I do wish you were here at night to calm her down. She’s restless when I want to sleep, and when I want her to be active, she’s sleeping. Sometimes…I-I wish I could just hold you in my arms, have you press your hands against my stomach—feeling our daughter move around under them. I wish I could have you run your fingers through my hair when I can’t sleep or whisper in my ear about how much you love me while everyone else is running around backstage.” More tears spill from two sets of eyes, and it’s only harder because of the screen and distance between both of them. He knows that Finn hates every minute that he’s not with Seth, but at the same time, they both can’t be out for unspecified reasons.

            “Seth, I wish I were there too—I really do. But we both know that we can’t be out at the same time. The fans already suspect, and even though we really haven’t discussed the status of our relationship when it comes to the fans, I think it’s time we at least release a statement on it. It will make it easier on us both when we would have to be off T.V. because one of got sick, or we were having another baby.” Seth is shocked at that part of the conversation. He hasn’t really thought about having another child with Finn, but at the same time, he would love to give him a son…A little boy with Finn’s eyes and his skin tone. Another being to show what their pure love can create.

            “Wait…you want to have another baby with me? Seriously? I’ve been thinking about having another baby with you, but I didn’t know how to tell you. I would just say to wait until this one is at least five.” Laughing at the turn of their conversation, they start to feel the sadness lift itself off their shoulders and slithering away from their hearts. Seth can see it now—he’s holding a newborn baby, while Finn is running around their backyard with their five-year-old. The sun setting in the distance, the orange-yellow rays casting soft shadows on the grass. It’s what he’s really wanted for himself…something that he thought could never happen. He always thought that after he left _The Shield_ , that no one would want to be with him. Then Finn came and swept him off his feet. The thoughts in his head that tell him he’s not worth Finn’s time have quieted down as of late, but they still linger in the darkest parts. Finn laughs quietly at the awe on Seth’s face.

            “Of course, I do! You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and because of that, you’re creating a new life in your body. I can’t tell you how much I love you and how much in awe I am of you. You’ve carried on like everything is normal, even if everything sucks, you always greet me with the sweetest of smiles.” Sharing watery smiles with each other, Seth’s heart aches even more. The empty spot next to him not doing any favors to make the pain leave. Every single day that Finn’s not there, Seth finds something else about himself. Like last week, when he realized that his hair is so thick that it knots easily, or yesterday when he saw that his feet have swelled because he was on them for more than two hours. But he would do it all over again—just to see Finn happy.

           


	13. Where the Nature Reigns the Life...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title comes from Jinjer's 'Outlander'.

       “Thirty-two weeks, Seth! You and Finn must be excited that little Aoife will be here soon. Usually, an ultrasound is not done at this week in the pregnancy, but since your daughter is notorious for measuring a little smaller than average, I want to do a scan as a precaution.” Dr. Crowne declares in a light tone, making the tension in the room dissipate. Today is one of those lucky days for Seth—Finn is able to make it to this appointment. He feels Finn hold his hand as the ultrasound machine lets out the all too familiar noise of Aoife’s heartbeat through the speakers. It still makes chills crawl up Seth’s spine, knowing that every week that he can keep her safe, is a week closer to meeting her.

            “You’ve probably have been feeling her feet kicking up into your ribs—that’s because she’s now head down. Of course, I would also like to talk to you guys about a birth plan.” Dr. Crowne’s grey eyes look right into Seth’s, conveying the importance of the issue. Seth knows that he’s been avoiding this issue for a long time…partly because of trying to wrap his head around becoming a parent, and partly because Finn is away almost all of the time. It scares him to think of how his baby will be born. He doesn’t know if he can handle another session of being cut open—it was awful the first time, and it won’t be any better the second time.

            “We haven’t had the chance to discuss it yet, but I know for a fact that I am nervous in seeing him in that state again. It was horrible the first time around, and I wouldn’t want him to go through that experience again—at least without no medication to help with the pain of it. How he did it the first time is a mystery to me.” Finn’s hand squeezes Seth’s, conveying his anxiety to the other man. Finn wishes for Seth to know that no matter what he chooses, that he will stand by that decision. Seth can only mentally agree with Finn on his views on what happened the last time he was cut open. It had all been worth it in the end though, for if it wasn’t for that, he wouldn’t have Aoife kicking up a storm under his heart.

            “Seth, I wouldn’t expect you to do this a second time without any pain medication—or anesthetic—that would be cruel. Usually, when I have to do a C-section, I put in an epidural in your lower back, so that from the hips down you can’t feel anything. You can choose to be awake or asleep for the procedure if that helps. With an epidural, that consists of me putting in a needle in your back so that the anesthetic can get to you quickly and effectively. You both have to let me know right now though if you are planning on having any more children in the future.” Looking down at the tablet in her hand, Dr. Crowne is going over some notes that she has taken when she has had the chance to meet the demon himself—a fact that she does not want Finn or Seth to know. Even though Dr. Tatiana Crowne is a legitimate doctor, she also practices alternative medicines and has called herself a ‘white witch’. For her, that usually means that she deals with the herbs and other items from the soil on which she stands on, but sometimes, she runs into situations like Seth’s where she has to contact a demon. At first, the thought used to terrify her, but after having to contact more and more demons over the years, she is not as afraid as she once was.

            “Okay…I am just a little nervous about the whole thing. I want to meet her so badly, but at the same time, I am scared of what could happen. I trust you, Dr. Crowne, but I am just scared. I know Finn will be in the room with me the whole time, but I don’t want him to be nervous as I will be...and Finn and I have discussed having more children recently, and for right now, we would like to have more.” Seth’s fears finally out in the open, his shoulders sag with the release of his anxiety; and for that, Finn tightens his grip on Seth’s hand. Despite the fear of impending surgery, he knows that it would be worth the risk if it means that he would have his baby in his arms. Though the weight of his grievances was off his shoulders, the air became heavy with something else—a whole different kind of tension. The hairs on his arms begin to rise, and as he looks over to Finn, Seth can see that the hand that he was holding is no longer a hand but something more talon-like. Finn’s eyes are no longer blue but jet black...and not just his irises, but all of his eyes. A gruff voice sighs, and even though Seth knows he should be afraid, he really isn’t. He looks over to Dr. Crowne, who is just looking at the demon king with an eyebrow raised as if she has dealt with him before.

            “Oh Tatiana, how have you been? It’s been centuries since I’ve last seen you. Tell me, what was it again that made you this way in the first place? Was it you having enough with watching women die? Or was it more of watching everyone die around you as you tried to help them, but the war outside of your door kept bringing in the injured and dying to your steps? Better yet, was it having your immaculate white dress stained in the blood of the dead?” Dr. Crowne is now in the demon king’s face, inches away from the tip of his nose to the tip of hers.

            “Listen here, you little shit, I left you because of what you were doing. I see that you haven’t lead up yet, and luckily, I have experience in dealing with you. I have protected both Seth and Finn from the actual damages you could have done to them from the moment that Aleister handed over my business card to Seth, but I especially am protecting the innocent life that has yet to be born. You have given Seth and Finn something that they thought they could never have, but you must know that already. What is it that you want now? Is there something you need to explain?” Dr. Crowne is seething with rage at the mere fact that the demon king has made himself known. Seth is more curious about what the demon meant by ‘centuries’. How old is Dr. Crowne in reality? She looks like a woman who is in her late twenties, but again, looks can be deceiving.

            “You must understand that once this child is born, the part of his body that made this possible will disintegrate within in his body, but he will not have to go through what he went through the first time. Instead, when he and Finn feel that the time is right, that part of him will regenerate itself.” With that, the tension dissipates and Finn is looking back at Dr. Crowne, who still has a stone-faced look etched into her features. Finn looks at Seth, and he can see that there is confusion all over the face that he loves. He wants to know what happened, and if the demon just got out without his knowledge.

            “Hey babe, the demon king just made an appearance…and he told me what is to happen once I have Aoife. He also said that he knew Dr. Crowne and that he hasn’t seen her in centuries?” Seth is confused once again, but this time, it is Finn who is stone-faced. Dr. Crowne pulls up a stool to sit right in front of the couple before sighing and pinching the bridge of her nose.

            “Well, this is not how I thought this would go. How do I put this—well, the demon king and I used to be the ruling couple of the underworld for a while until I saw through his destructive deeds and horrible means to ends. I stood up to him, and in doing that, I fell out of love with him. Putting distance between him and me, I ended up having to go through different life cycles until I got to this one. I used all of the experience I have gotten from the past several hundred years to open this practice, and I can say that I have been able to administer alternative medicine since the middle of the last century. As for my appearance—well, I stopped aging at twenty-seven, so that is why I look so young, but in reality, I am incredibly old.” Dr. Crowne finishes off her little speech with a laugh, trying to lighten the mood. There is some relief in Seth’s face as he realizes that Dr. Crowne isn’t afraid of the demon king, and has in fact been able to keep him from affecting the baby that he is housing. Finn looks at Dr. Crowne again, and for the first time, he feels tears well up in his eyes. Only he knows the struggle of keeping the demon king from trying to destroy anything good that has ever happened to him.

            “Dr. Crowne…how did you do it? How did you stand up to the demon king? It is so hard to keep him in his sleeping state, and yet, he’s giving Seth and me something we both want.” A couple of tears make their way down Finn’s face, and all Seth can do is reach over to wipe them. Deciding that he’s had enough of lying down in an office, Seth gets to his feet, before settling himself right next to Finn, their hands never leaving each other. His thumb draws invisible circles on the top side of Finn’s hand. He places his lips against Finn’s cheek, knowing that Finn’s been tired lately because of all of the traveling.

            “Well, I am very commanding with him. He can’t beat me, and since he knows that, he tries his best to at least have me reconsider leaving him in the first place—which by the way, we will never be together again. Not in this lifetime or any other, and definitely not in the underworld. I would just say, keep doing what you’re doing in regard to the demon king. He already knows that he can’t have you in a possession type of way, but that you are his commander. You let him in when you want to, and you make him go when you don’t need him. He’s kind of like a child—you have to be strict and firm, and never give in on what he wants. So now since that is out of the way, let’s go schedule Seth for his thirty-four-week checkup.” Dr. Crowne smiles at the couple, and Seth gets this overwhelming sense of calm as he and Finn follow her out to the receptionist’s desk.


	14. One Being Brings Life, Another Runs For Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title comes from Jinjer's 'Pisces'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I can finally say that this story is over....or is it? Who knows? For right now though, I will leave this story as it is.

      “Seth, babe…how are you?” Hearing Finn’s voice in the distance, Seth struggles to open his eyes, the feeling of a deep sleep still overwhelming him. Half-lidded eyes finally let some light in, and as he slowly gains his senses, he realizes that there’s a beeping coming from somewhere nearby. A hand is holding his, and looking at Finn, there are tear tracks down his face…as if he’s been crying for a while. Finn’s eyes widen in shock as he realizes that Seth is looking up at him from the hospital bed. Finn’s face sinks down into the white sheets that are exposed by the hand he’s holding, his tears soak into the fabric, leaving behind a discoloration that comes when the fabric is drenched. There’s a sudden snap of reality for Seth—it comes when he inhales the strong scent of disinfectant and sterile environment in the air. Looking down towards his stomach, he notices that he’s not feeling any movement.

      “Finn…where’s the baby? Why can’t I feel her?” Seth’s heart rate spikes, sending the monitor into a frenzy. A nurse is rushing in, resetting the heart monitor through the screen. She pulls out a flashlight pen from a pocket in her scrubs, proceeding to move the beam of light across Seth’s eyes. She then pushes some buttons on the guard rails of the bed, lifting Seth into a more comfortable sitting position. The lights are low in the room, off-setting the pounding headache he has because of the flashlight.

      “She’s okay—she’s in the NICU right now, but she’s okay. We’ve been waiting for you to wake up for a couple of days now. Dr. Crowne said that it was lucky that you were at thirty-four weeks. She said that Aoife has a better chance at a normal life, despite being born early.” Finn sniffles, wiping the tears from his face. Seth flinches from feeling a twinge of pain from his neck—it spurs a whole scene in his mind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_“Yeah babe, I can’t wait to see you tonight! Aoife misses her daddy, and papa misses his husband.” Seth is waiting at a stop light, a normal occurrence for him during the weekday. The light turns green, Seth nudges his car across the crosswalk into the traffic flow—yet he never makes it to the end of the street. A car that was speeding to get away from the cops’ slams right into the passenger’s side of Seth’s car. The car is thrown across the road, flipping a couple of times before finally settling on its side. Seth’s head is pounding, but what hurts worse is the sudden spasms from his stomach._

_“BABE! Oh my god! Babe—oh god!” Finn is still on the line and heard the whole thing happen. He feels helpless at the fact that he heard the whole thing but yet can’t help his husband. There’s a moan from the other side of the line, snapping Finn from his panic train of thought. Ice runs through his veins with a nagging thought of ‘she’s not ready’ persisting through his mind, playing on repeat on the record player that is his brain._

_“Finn—I think something’s wrong with Aoife. She’s not moving and my stomach hurts.” Seth is panicking, not knowing what to do or how to stop the pain. He doesn’t realize that someone—well something is ripping open the driver’s side door, severing his seat belt and pulling him out of this overturned car. There’s a man looking down at him as he lays on the asphalt of the street. There’s something not quite right with the man’s gaze upon him, and yet, it’s the same deal when the paramedics stabilize his neck and press his back against a stiff backboard. He feels as if he knows that look—and then it hits him—the air in the back of the ambulance becoming heavy and tense. The female paramedic opens her mouth to speak, and Seth is scared to know what she is about to say._

_“Seth, it’s going to be okay. Dr. Crowne is at the hospital already.  Finn is going to be at the hospital soon. Your baby will be okay. Relax and sleep, you’ll need it.” The gruff voice of the demon king spills out of the woman’s mouth, and for the first time, he feels comfort from it instead of fear and dread. He knows that the demon king has his ways of getting into the minds of those he needs to, and Dr. Crowne is no exception. The movement of the ambulance ends up rocking Seth to sleep, his body heavy with pain and worry._

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

      “What happened to my baby? Where is she? I want to see her.” Seth’s voice cracks, and as he goes to touch his face, there are tears meeting the pads of his fingers. Wiping furiously at the tears which are never-ending, all he can think about is the little girl that he carried with him. Who was lulled to sleep by the sound of his heart and was happy by just hearing the sound of his voice. He feels a sort of sadness at the news that she’s not physically with him anymore but in another room. He wants her so badly—just so he could hold her and look down upon her face. He is angry at how his baby girl came into the world…almost losing her, and then her being born before her time.

      “Seth, she’s almost done with her NICU stay. Dr. Crowne is looking over her care, and I have gone to see her every day while I waited for you to wake up. She only has about two days left—if at that. She’s healthier now than when she was born. Her skin is beautiful—the perfect mix of you and me.” Finn smiles at him, and all Seth can really think about is the question of how long he’s really been out. Finn’s lips find his, and for a moment, it feels as if he’s floating again. Fingers run through his hair, and he really wants to ask about what happened when he fell asleep…about how long he’s been asleep for, and all of these other questions under the sun. Seth feels his throat is too dry for comfort, but his question dies on his tongue as Dr. Crowne herself walks into his room.

      “As soon as you woke up, the nurses paged me. It has been an eventful week and a half I must say. I was afraid we were going to lose you, and we came close a couple of times. Aoife Grace was born weighing in at five pounds and measuring at sixteen inches even. Like I suspected, she is a little small for her age, but again, I don’t think that will be a problem in the long run. She did come into the world screaming, but her lungs were a little under-developed. We gave her some medication to help mature her lungs and we were able to take off her breathing mask last night. She’s still having a little trouble eating, but that should resolve itself soon. She’s made so much progress. For once the demon king did something kind.” Dr. Crowne is holding the hand that Finn isn’t, and all Seth can think about is how lucky he is. He can’t believe that the demon king even bothered to tell Both Finn and Dr. Crowne what had happened in the first place. They both tell Seth everything about what had happened that day. From the accident to now, there has been a whole lot of pain and dread the last week and a half. The man who hit his car from the passenger’s side was arrested after they lead the police on a foot chase. His baby was born while he was under, emergency surgery in the OR showed the extensive damage he suffered because of the accident. He began to bleed internally from the moment the car stopped, and adrenaline is what was keeping him from feeling more pain than the usual. One of his kidneys was severed and his spleen was split open. It took a lot of work, but Dr. Crowne and her team were able to save both. He feels his heart sink into the bottom of his stomach, knowing that his life was almost over and that his baby almost didn’t even have a chance at one.

      “How—how did the demon king tell you? I know he possessed the one paramedic who was working on me in the ambulance, but how?” Seth looks into the eyes of Dr. Crowne, and he has a feeling on how it must have happened, but he just wants confirmation.

      “He tried to overtake my thoughts, but he knows that I am someone he can no longer be with. I was able to control him and get him to tell me what happened.” Dr. Crowne tucks a piece of her black hair behind her ear, looking expectantly back at the couple. Finn nods along, letting Seth know through his actions that Finn also had the demon king attempt the same thing. He can feel tears travel down his face, not being able to believe that the demon king was the one in a way to save his life, but more importantly, save his daughter’s life.

      “He—he showed me the images of the car being hit, and it flipping with you in it. He showed me the moment when it skidded to a stop, and you bleeding from the cut on the side of your face. He even showed me the exact moment when you started feeling that something was off.” He feels Finn’s hand on his followed by a sniffle, Finn’s eyes are red again, and tears trail down his face. Seth reaches over to wipe the stray moisture that has gathered while Finn leans into his touch. He’s missed seeing him and being able to touch him, even for a fleeting moment. What hurts him now is the circumstances in which they are seeing each other. His breath catches before speeding up, suddenly feeling soreness and a dull pain from his lower abdomen, the same spot as before.

      “We had to make the incision in the same spot where the demon made his. I’m going to up the dosage on your pain medications so that you don’t feel it as much. On the other hand, your daughter has a papa that she wants to meet.” Dr. Crowne smiles at them both and at the same time, a nurse is walking in with a wheelchair in front of her. Taking their time to help Seth sit into the chair, Finn takes over the duty of pushing the chair towards the elevator to go to the NICU floor. The elevator door closes, and for a moment, it’s Seth and his thoughts—never mind the fact that Finn and Dr. Crowne are also in the elevator with him. He still feels like a horrible parent…thinking that he could have done more to protect his daughter from coming early. The ding of the elevator door opening to a very quiet hallway. There are doors at the end of the hall with a sign reading ‘Welcome to the NICU’. Dr. Crowne pushes a button on the wall, making the doors open—a wall of cries greets them. There are nurses everywhere, going in between rooms and tending to babies. They stop in front of a window, the nurse inside the room waves before letting them in.

      “Hello! I’m a nurse Dani and I am the one who has been in charge of your baby’s health! She’s doing very well and I am thinking that we might try bottle feeding tonight. Depending on how she does with that will determine if we can take out the feeding tube and just have her tomorrow.” Seth’s ears perk up at that piece of news. He knows that the sooner they get the feeding tube out of Aoife, the sooner she can go home. The nurse bends down into one of the isolettes, picking up his daughter from within it. She smiles at him before she hands over his five-pound baby into his arms. Her eyes are open and they are staring back at him—the blueness of Finn’s eyes with the doe-eyed shape of Seth’s peer into his soul. He can’t believe that despite everything he’s been through, he still gets to have this gift.

      “Hello, Aoife Grace—I’ve been waiting to meet you for such a long time.” Seth can’t stop the flood of tears from his face and he feels Finn wrap his arm around him. Finn presses his lips against the side of Seth’s face, knowing that there will be more days like this. He can’t help but think about Seth holding another little one in his arms while his Aoife is running around in the backyard.

      “Babe, Trips knows about the situation and he’s let me take off as much time as I need to take care of you—both of you.” Seth feels an enormous amount of love at the admission of Finn. For him to give up wrestling—even for a short while is a feat onto itself. His hand finds Finn’s and squeezes it tight, feeling reassured for the first time. His little Aoife yawns in his arms while Finn presses his lips to his temple, and for the first time, Seth feels safe and validated. He feels secure in his decisions, knowing now that if he were to do it all over again, he wouldn’t change a thing.


End file.
